MRD Talk #04 – Outdoor activities: A blessing or a curse for mountain environments and societies?

Want to explore the impact of outdoor activities in mountain regions? Register for the next Mountain Research and Development online talk to hear from panellists on how the outdoor industry and the mountain sports community can contribute to livelihoods while actively protecting and regenerating mountain ecosystems.
Adaptation at Altitude
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  • July 19, 2023
  • 1 min read
  • Event: 20/07/2023 - 15:00 (UTC +02:00) - 16:30 (UTC +02:00)
mountain goat with rocks and vegetation
Credit: MRD

Summary

Join the next online Mountain Research and Development (MRD) talk: Outdoor activities: A blessing or a curse for mountain environments and societies?

When:20th July 3:00pm-4:30pm (CEST/UTC+2).

Outdoor recreation and nature sports are increasingly popular worldwide. These outdoor activities can contribute greatly to livelihoods in mountain regions. However, they can also lead to habitat degradation, wildlife disturbance, and pollution, thereby harming fragile mountain ecosystems. In this MRD Talk, we will explore how science, the private sector, civil society, and global initiatives can help turn the challenges brought by outdoor activities into opportunities for mountain environments and societies.

The author of an article recently published in MRD will present her work, showing that sports participants’ knowledge and attitudes toward protection measures are key to managing visitor behavior in protected areas of the northern French Alps. Panelists from civil society, the private sector, and the UN Environment Programme will share their insights into how the outdoor industry and the mountain sports community can contribute to livelihoods while actively protecting and regenerating mountain ecosystems. This online discussion is an opportunity to harvest lessons and recommendations for policy and practice on how to promote outdoor activities that contribute to the livelihoods of mountain people without harming the mountain environment.

Sound interesting? Registerby 19th July!

Panelists:

  • Léna Gruas – Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
  • Jorge Sirvas Milla – Asociación 7a Escalada, Pitumarca, Peru
  • Ansgar Fellendorf – United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Vienna, Austria
  • Diana Alexia Gómez Cavieres – Asociación 7a Escalada, Pitumarca, Peru
  • Tanya Bascombe – European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA), Zug, Switzerland

Moderator: Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel – Associate Editor, Mountain Research and Development | Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Switzerland

Find out more about the speakers here!