Private

WS 3.118

Innovative Approaches for Mountain Resilience

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Description

Mountain regions are not only vital global ecosystems but also present unique challenges due to their vulnerability to climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, and economic pressures. There is a common understanding that the resilience of mountain social-ecological systems and particularly of mountain communities need to be strengthened, in particular through innovative approaches building on traditional and Indigenous knowledge, to face these challenges. Responding to this need, numerous measures have been proposed but observable changes and improvements at the local level are limited. This workshop builds on a first Mountain Innovation Fair hosted in October 2023 and focuses on innovative solutions addressing sustainable mountain development issues and discussing enabling factors as well as ways of how science can act as a bridge between practitioners’ capacities, environmental goals, societal needs, private sector interests, and effective policy frameworks. It will look at new ways to foster collaborative innovation across global mountain communities and how to bring together practitioners, scientists, policymakers, business leaders, and community stakeholders for innovation and sustainable development in mountain areas. This workshop aims to discuss actionable solutions, foster a culture of exchange and cooperation between mountain regions, and encourage sustainable, science-based development that strengthens resilience and adaptability in mountain environments. IMC participants who have worked on innovative approaches for mountain regions, or are interested in engaging with these topics, are encouraged to join. Picture credit: Eurac Research – Andres de Giovanni

Submitted Abstracts

ID: 3.10620

Building Resilience in Alpine communities: Community-Driven Solutions for Maniva Ski in TranStat project

Stefano Sala
Pasinetti, Laura; Nova, Federica; Giorgi, Annamaria

Abstract/Description

The TranStat project, funded by Interreg Alpine Space, focuses on co-constructing sustainable solutions for ski resorts facing climate challenges. Operating from 2022–2025, the project specifically targets resorts like Maniva and Valmalenco in Italy’s Lombardy Region, where climate change has led to reduced snow reliability and shifting seasonal patterns, threatening local economies. Our contribution aims to present the case study of Maniva Ski, a peculiar ski resort divided between two very different municipalities. Low altitude and unfavourable exposure threaten the opening of the ski resort every winter. However, the real threat is the lack of involvement of the communities belonging to the municipalities, which are distant and in the process of depopulation (Collio’s Municipality in the first place). At the core of TranStat is the idea of participatory transition processes, involving a broad range of local stakeholders—residents, businesses, youth, tourism representatives, and local authorities. By encouraging collaborative decision-making, the project ensures that the voices of all community members are heard in shaping solutions. In order to include these actors in the dialogue, various participatory tools were used, both on the final target group and among the working group with a view to cross-pollination. TranStat also connects resorts across the Alps, including in Italy, Austria, Slovenia, France, and Switzerland, to create a cross-border network for knowledge exchange. This collaboration strengthens the resilience of ski resorts by sharing best practices and innovative strategies, helping communities adapt to climate impacts more effectively. Concluding, we’ll highlight how participation in a European network has supported and strengthened the skills of the community in question through regular meetings, exchanges of good practice and sharing of possible futures.

ID: 3.11364

Designing Resilient and Sustainable Solar Battery Infrastructure (DResi) for the Top of the World

Anurag Pokharel
Khatiwada, Saurav; Wagle, Manoj; Basnet, Bishwas

Abstract/Description

High-altitude electricity infrastructure in areas like Nepal’s Himalayas lacks resilience, with off-grid solar technologies frequently disrupted during disasters. These disruptions create significant challenges for disaster relief, recovery, and infrastructure restoration. This research aims to develop a self-sufficient and resilient electricity service solution specifically designed for high-mountain regions. The study examines three essential characteristics of resilience: flexibility and diversity, redundancy and modularity, and safe failure. To design a robust energy storage solution, it assesses hazards, exposure, and vulnerability to integrate resilience-building elements. It also analyzes household and institutional energy use to inform product design and evaluates post-disaster energy needs across rescue, relief, and recovery phases to ensure adequate support during crises. The prototype battery storage solution is developed using a climate resilience framework that considers system, agent, institution, and exposure dimensions and their interrelations. Lessons from the 2024 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Thame, a village in the Everest region of Nepal, provide real-world insights for integrating resilience measures. To reduce the cost implications of system hardening, the study employs a circular economy approach, focusing on off-grid solar power. Second-life lithium-ion batteries from EVs and laptops undergo rigorous testing and deployment to assess their viability as cost-effective and sustainable storage solutions. With a long-term sustainability perspective, the research evaluates the scalability and waste management implications of the proposed solution. The next phase involves field testing the prototype to assess its performance in real-world high-altitude conditions. This research contributes to building resilient energy infrastructure in disaster-prone regions while advancing energy access through circular economy.

ID: 3.12247

Measuring Resilience in Mountain Regions: The RABIT Approach in Mount Elgon, Uganda

Richard Heeks
Ospina, Angelica

Abstract/Description

This presentation introduces an innovative method for assessing resilience in mountain regions, developed through the Resilience Assessment Benchmarking and Impact Toolkit (RABIT). Piloted in Uganda’s Mount Elgon region, RABIT applies a structured framework to evaluate community resilience across nine key attributes, including robustness, self-organization, learning, and adaptability. Unlike traditional approaches, which often rely on fragmented indicators or static assessments, RABIT integrates systems thinking, participatory methods, and ICT-enhanced data visualization to provide a comprehensive, dynamic resilience profile.

A key innovation of RABIT lies in its ability to benchmark resilience as a baseline and to be used as an impact assessment tool for development interventions, including climate change adaptation strategies. This method combines qualitative and quantitative insights, engaging local stakeholders through focus groups, mapping, and feedback loops to capture context-specific vulnerabilities and strengths. The findings from Mount Elgon highlight the importance of redundancy, institutional networks, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms in sustaining mountain livelihoods under environmental stressors.

By presenting this novel framework, we aim to demonstrate how RABIT can be applied to other mountain regions facing climate and socio-economic challenges. The methodology offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to enhance resilience-building strategies in vulnerable highland communities.

ID: 3.12956

The governance of transformative territorial innovations

Colas Sigel

Abstract/Description

The theory of transformative social innovations (TSI) makes it possible to study the global transformations of middle-mountain (tourist) areas. These areas are subject to major social, economic and ecological concerns that need to be addressed using a holistic approach. According to this theory, transformative changes are the result of specific interactions between the four shades of change (social innovations, system innovation, narratives of change, game-changers) and their joint capacity to challenge/modify/replace dominant social relations, dominant systems and institutions, dominant rules of the game and dominant narratives and discourse. Furthermore, the transformations of the mid-mountain regions must be adapted to their specific local characteristics. To achieve this, innovations must be territorial (locally rooted) and transformative (with the capacity to establish themselves as a sustainable and desirable alternative). Many innovations and social initiatives have emerged in mid-mountain areas and are striving to offer alternatives to the dominant local socio-economic model, but there is a lack of effectiveness in transforming these areas. What are the levers and obstacles to transforming the dominant territorial system? How can we implement territorial institutional changes conjointly to transformative territorial innovations in order to bring about a transformation towards modes of territorial organization that are strongly socio-ecologically sustainable? The aim of this research is to establish what forms of governance might be favourable to structuring and collaboration between innovators, institutions, and the public sphere, enabling these territorial innovations to achieve their transformative potential.

ID: 3.13101

Construction and Demolition Wastes (C&DW) for a more sustainable Gabion application

Berhanu Arega Tadesse

Abstract/Description

Mountain regions necessitate efficient yet sustainable protection measures to face natural hazards. Gabions offer a convenient, environmental friendly solution to face problems ranging from soil erosion control, river bank stabilization, stream energy dissipation, landslides prevention, creation of rockfall safety barriers, and protection of structures like bridge abutments or viaduct foundation. Filling gabion baskets with natural resources like ad hoc quarried rock fragments often turns to be expensive and poses environmental concerns. C&DW offer an alternative solution for creating more sustainable structures, provided their engineering performance is proved together with their environmental compatibility. A comprehensive research has been undertaken in the geotechnical laboratory of the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio to investigate the mechanical and environmental performance of gabions filled with different C&DW. The mechanical performance is detected by performing unconfined and confined uniaxial compression tests using an ad-hoc designed equipment on smaller scale models (0.4×0.4×0.4 m) of gabions filled with different blocks. They include concrete fragments artificially created with variable types and proportions of components (cement, water and aggregates) to infer controlled properties to the constituent material. Their performance is compared with that of gabions filled with natural rock fragments, the latter used for reference. In all cases, the mechanical properties of the constituent materials are evaluated with specific tests (point load, uniaxial compression, Los Angeles abrasion and freeze-thaw) to characterize material strength and fix standard acceptance levels. In a second phase, focus is given to the combination of high-quality materials (recycled concrete) with lower-quality components (bricks) to optimize performance and resource utilization. Stiffness and strength of gabions are examined to determine their influence on the overall performance of structures distinguishing the effects of particle sizes, shapes, and material combinations on deformation behavior and load-bearing capacity. This study contributes to the sustainability of mountain hazard mitigation measures, addressing the increasing need for high performance materials with circular economy solutions based on the transformation of wastes into valuable resources. Its outcomes aim to establish guidelines for the practical implementation of C&DW in gabion structures

ID: 3.13338

Promoting innovations for sustainable development: learnings from pilot activities

Susanne Wymann
Fellendorf, Ansgar; Jurek, Matthias; Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan; McCallum, Sabine; Thibault, Marlène; Portner, Brigitte

Abstract/Description

Mountain regions around the world have a unique potential for sustainable development. Unleashing this potential requires cooperation and sharing of information and practical experiences across regions. Yet, innovative development approaches frequently remain isolated, considerations regarding potentially successful scaling are left unshared, and regional and interregional action learning is ever so often neglected. The project “Promoting Innovations for Sustainable Development in Mountain Areas” (PRIMA) fostered pilot activities across mountain regions to address these gaps and spark out-of-the-box thinking, identify, and showcase innovative approaches. In the presentation, we will draw on the learnings of PRIMA and present a concept for an innovation hub that will enable and facilitate inter-regional action learning, capacity development, partnerships, and co-creation with the aim of nurturing evidence-informed novel approaches for inclusive and sustainable development in mountains.