defriten
defriten

Acting as a national inter- and transdisciplinary network, the forum promotes knowledge and discourse about landscape and landscape-changing processes. It advocates sustainable design, development and safety concepts. The forum focuses on the Alps as well as parks and protected areas.more

Image: Naturmotive, stock-adobe.commore

Alps

The Alps are one of the largest continuous natural areas in Europe, yet are conversely a relatively small region subject to many different pressures. They are particularly affected by climate change, and are shaped significantly by farming and infrastructure, for example tourism construction, even at higher elevations.

  • View from Stoos cable car in Muotathal
  • View of the Alpine town of Visp
  • Val Plavna, Grisons
  • GPS measurements at the Arrête de l'Arpille (Sanetsch, VS)
  • The Alps as a recreational area, Munt-la-Schera, Swiss National Park
  • View from Stoos cable car in MuotathalImage: FoLAP1/5
  • View of the Alpine town of VispImage: Ursula Schüpbach2/5
  • Val Plavna, GrisonsImage: Norman Backhaus3/5
  • GPS measurements at the Arrête de l'Arpille (Sanetsch, VS)Image: Mario Kummer4/5
  • The Alps as a recreational area, Munt-la-Schera, Swiss National ParkImage: Norman Backhaus5/5

The considerable challenges facing the Alps include increasing traffic flows, the creation of new infrastructure, the migration of the younger generation, the growing contrast between urbanised areas and regions undergoing depopulation, pandemic-related intensification of use in the leisure sector and climate change.

Activities of the FoLAP:

  • ProMontesPrize: The Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research (SSAF), in collaboration with FoLAP, awards prizes for outstanding achievements by young researchers in securing the future of the Alpine cultural landscape.
  • UN International Mountain Day: With International Mountain Day on 11 December, the United Nations draws attention to the special role of mountain regions for sustainable development. In Switzerland, we celebrate this event annually together with other mountain-related organisations. We want to show the richness and diversity of the mountains in an entertaining way. We focus on people who live in the mountains or whose hearts beat for the mountains from the lowlands. We also want to present lesser-known aspects of the rich but also environmentally sensitive mountain world and contribute to its appreciation.

International participations – ISCAR

ISCAR Logo

As part of the International Scientific Committee on Alpine Research (ISCAR), we support the international exchange and transfer of knowledge to politics and society, thus helping to ensure both the protection and the appropriate utilisation of the Alps. We are also one of the official observer organisations of the Alpine Convention, and as such are involved in the work of the Permanent Committee and the Alpine Conference.

Activities of ISCAR:

  • Young Academics Award: Awarding outstanding master theses on relevant alpine topics.
  • AlpWeek: AlpWeek is a leading international event on sustainable development and related alpine issues, jointly organised by the main alpine organisations.
  • Forum Alpinum: Since 1994, ISCAR has organised the ForumAlpinum with national partners. The ForumAlpinum is primarily a scientific conference aiming to promote international research cooperation on topics of relevance across the entire Alpine arc. The ForumAlpinum has also been designed as an interface between the scientific community and the general public, providing opportunities for dialogue among various groups.

The Forum Landscape, Alps, Parks took over the tasks of the former Interacademic Commission for Alpine Studies (ICAS) in 2019.

Contact

SCNAT
Forum Landscape, Alps, Parks (FoLAP)
House of Academies
PO Box
3001 Bern
Switzerland