Research

Through its activities, the Alpine Convention Secretariat promotes networking and cooperation with various stakeholders at both horizontal and vertical levels, thereby aiming for a resource-efficient use of the Alpine region while taking into account the interests of the population and the sensitivity of the Alpine environment. Climate change and the biodiversity crisis pose particular challenges that must be duly considered in all measures. The cultural and social specificities of the Alpine region are to be taken into account, and the diverse habitats are to be preserved and further promoted. In the field of tourism and leisure activities, the objective is to explore new approaches to sustainability indicators that help balance tourism and leisure activities with ecological and social requirements and to reduce negative environmental impacts accordingly. Another objective is to develop a perspective for socially responsible and environmentally friendly tourism, taking into account the needs of civil society. In the field of energy, the objective is to promote nature- and landscape-friendly energy generation, distribution, and use—taking into account current legal frameworks such as RED III—including the promotion of energy-saving measures. This is to be achieved by addressing Alpine-specific challenges and fostering cross-sectoral, participatory energy spatial planning. Overall, this also aims to contribute to the development of a sound technical and scientific basis. Activities related to Alpine spatial planning as a cross-cutting issue focus on environmentally sound planning that balances the diverse usage demands of different sectors while involving the public, particularly civil society. In line with the Alpine Climate Target System 2050, this supports the development of a climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alpine region. As part of a holistic approach to the sustainable development of the Alpine region and in accordance with the objectives of the Alpine Convention, participation in Alpine-relevant national and international events and committee meetings—such as working groups of the Alpine Convention and/or EUSALP, the ÖROK Working Group on the Alpine Region, or the ÖNK—aims to advance sustainable development concepts for the Alpine region. This work builds on the Alpine Convention Office’s many years of experience within CIPRA Austria and leverages synergies with cooperation partners.

Connection to nature is increasingly recognized as a crucial driver of societal transformation toward biodiversity protection. Aligning with the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Target 12, which focuses on sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity and GBF Target 19, fostering the capacity and knowledge base of all people by increasing awareness, education, and participation in biodiversity conservation efforts, the project highlights the synergistic role of nature exposure and nature connectedness in driving transformative societal change for biodiversity protection. This project seeks to drive transformational outcomes for biodiversity and socio-ecological systems through the Societal Transformation Laboratory for Nature Reconnection Advocacy, implemented in three pilot regions located in Central Europe. By generating actionable knowledge, we aim to support the development of a sustainable nature exposure and nature connectedness strategy, as well as an integrated landscape management framework. Central to this initiative is the understanding and incorporation of diverse values and worldviews about the relationship between biodiversity, human behaviour, and attitudes. This approach will enable us to co-develop nature-positive visions, goals, and actions among societal actors. The project will enhance understanding of how justice, power dynamics, and economic relationships shape natural resource use, including patterns of sustainable consumption. Our work will expand transformative actions across various sectors of spatial and landscape planning, forest management, landscape economy and society, fostering innovative community science practices and strengthening socio-ecological literacy in both decision-making and public engagement. Through this, we aim to empower citizens and stakeholders to contribute actively to nature-positive futures. Urban functional areas (UFA) of Warsaw (PL), Vienna (AT) and Stuttgart (DE) serve as examples of scarce nature exposure due to urbanisation processes and high recreational demand, triggering overexploitation, pollution, spreading of invasive species and habitat loss. Combined with lower resilience caused by climate crisis, these processes result in biodiversity decline. Proper, participatory planning can increase nature exposure and connectedness, followed by nature positive attitudes and practices. We apply systemic approach to address the multifaceted challenges of biodiversity loss in urban metropolitan areas, which we understand as complex, dynamic and adaptive socio-technical-ecological systems.

The Danube Floodplains National Park is nestled in a dynamic development area between the cities of Vienna and Bratislava. The increase in settlement activity and the associated population growth are putting pressure on the remaining natural areas. The Danube Floodplains National Park, part of which is located in the Vienna city area (Lobau), is particularly affected by this. With the increase in visitor pressure and the number of visitors, visitor management measures must therefore be evaluated and, if necessary, adapted or changed. The last systematic visitor survey in the national park took place from 1998 to 2001. Based on the visitor monitoring study conducted between 1998 and 2001, visitor counts and surveys will be carried out at approximately 30 locations in the Vienna and Lower Austrian parts of the Donau-Auen National Park. Through the combined use of permanent counting devices and periodic counts by counters at predefined locations, the temporal and spatial visitor flows in the Donau-Auen National Park will be recorded over a period of one year.