Lecture 4b “Sustainable development of mountain regions”
"You can’t conquer a mountain, though it may conquer you." (Jimmy Chin)
Sustainable development of mountain regions
Preamble:
This interdisciplinary course explores the sustainable development of mountain regions, with a particular emphasis on the Alps. It highlights social scientific perspectives to understand the complex interplay between environmental, social, and economic dynamics in alpine contexts. Students will examine key issues such as climate change adaptation, community resilience, regional development strategies, and participatory governance. Using a transdisciplinary approach, the course draws on case-based learning and real-world examples—including the Alpine Convention and "Bergsteigerdörfer"—to provide critical insights into sustainability initiatives. The course equips students with the analytical tools to assess and shape sustainable futures in mountain regions.
Benefits from lecture:
- Understand key concepts and challenges of sustainable development in mountain regions.
- Gain insight into environmental, social, and economic interdependencies in alpine contexts.
- Explore practical examples of sustainability initiatives in mountain areas (e.g., tourism, agriculture, mobility).
- Develop skills to critically assess regional development strategies.
- Engage with transdisciplinary approaches involving policy, civil society, and science.
Special features of lecture:
- Pursues a transversal approach with inputs from various scientific disciplines
- Includes case-based learning (e.g., Alpine Convention, Bergsteigerdörfer)
Main lecturers:
- Rike Stotten
- Wolfger Mayrhofer
Lectures
Unit 3 - Conceptualizing Sustainable Development
SS 2026; Wolfger Mayrhofer (2x45 min.)
- social, ecological and economic approaches
- Which aspects are particularly relevant for mountain areas?
Unit 4 - Understanding mountain communities as social-ecological systems
SS 2026; Rike Stotten (2x45 min.)
- Community Capitals and Resilience
- Vulnerability
Unit 5 - Legal viewpoints on Sustainability
SS 2026; Wolfger Mayrhofer (2x45 min.)
- SDGs
- International Conventions
- EU Law U
Unit 6 - social Science Perspectives on Climate Change
SS 2026; Rike Stotten (2x45 min.)
- The anthropogenic climate change
- Socio-ecological crisis and imperial mode of living
- Impact on mountain areas
Unit 7 - How to deal with Climate Change in Mountain Regions?
SS 2026; Wolfger Mayrhofer (2x45 min.)
- How mountain regions deal with climate change
- Elements from the relevant international and supranational frameworks
- KLAR! Regions
Unit 8 - Regional development for Sustainability in Mountain regions
SS 2026; Rike Stotten (2x45 min.)
- social Science perspectives on regional development strategies in mountain regions
- Conceptual examples
- Protected areas
- Organic regions
- social movements
Unit 9 - Regional development for Sustainability in Alpine regions: examples
SS 2026; Wolfger Mayrhofer (2x45 min.)
- Bergsteigerdörfer
- Alliance in the Alps
- Alpine Town of the Year
- Alparc
- Alpine Pearls
Unit 10 - Governance and Participation in Regional development
SS 2026; Rike Stotten (2x45 min.)
- Multi-level governance and institutional frameworks
- Role of civil society and participatory processes
- Transdisciplinary research
Unit 11 - Sustainable Mountain Governance of the Alps
SS 2026; Wolfger Mayrhofer (2x45 min.)
Alpine Convention
- History, structure and implementation
- Bodies and working methods
- Topics and projects
- Other alpine transnational cooperation structures
- EUSALP
- CIPRA
- Arge Alp
- Alpine Associations
Unit 12 - Governance and Participation in Regional development
SS 2026; Wolfger Mayrhofer (2x45 min.)
- Policy instruments
- Local and supra-local spatial planning
- EU funding (INTERREG Alpine Space, bilateral INTERREG Programmes, ESPON)