Abstract ID: 3.9889 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Mountain regions, despite their limited geographic extent, political influence, and demographic weight, play a crucial role for hundreds of millions of people worldwide (Klein et al., 2019; Martín-López et al., 2019; Adler et al., 2022). These territories provide essential ecosystem services (Payne et al., 2020; Martín-López et al., 2019) but remain highly vulnerable to climate change, land-use shifts, socio-economic transformations, and environmental pressures (Martín-López et al., 2019; Payne et al., 2020; Adler et al., 2022). Given the complexity of mountain socio-ecosystems, addressing these challenges requires multidimensional approaches that integrate social and natural sciences, and take local knowledge into account (Klein et al., 2019; Martín-López et al., 2019; Wyss et al., 2022). The concept of Living Well – rooted in the South American concepts of Sumak Kwasay and Buen Vivir – highlights the interdependence between human and natural systems, promoting balanced and respectful relationships between people and nature (Altmann, 2020). Living Well is a flexible concept whose definition varies by region and population, that provides a holistic framework for understanding socio-ecosystems through multiple scientific disciplines. In 2023, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research (CIRM) of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) designated “Living Well in the Mountains” as the central theme of its inter- and transdisciplinary research. To unpack this concept, the CIRM has initiated a two-stage definition process. The first phase involved workshops with researchers from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and health sciences to explore this concept from multiple scientific perspectives. The second phase of this initiative builds upon the collection of perspectives of local communities involved in the CIRM’s strategic projects, “BlueMount” and “Val d’Hérens 1950/2050”. These efforts have shaped CIRM’s vision of Living Well in the Mountains as a guiding framework for its projects and actions, while helping identify key challenges and research priorities for mountain regions in Switzerland. By adopting “Living Well in the Mountains” as a unifying theme, CIRM fosters collaboration between researchers and local stakeholders, supporting two key objectives: (i) to develop a holistic understanding of mountain socio-ecosystems; and (ii) to create a shared language that facilitates dialogue between scientists and local actors.