The Horizon Europe MountResilience Project, funded by the European Commission on the Horizon Europe Missions dedicated to climate change adaptation, aims to test and create a database of possible actions to adapt to the effects climate change is having on mountain regions, thereby increasing the resilience of local communities.
Mountains cover 30% of the land area and are home to 17% of the EU’s population, which means that every 6th EU citizen lives in mountainous areas. While mountains are often admired for their breathtaking landscapes and as perfect sites for relaxation, they play a much more significant role in our daily lives. Mountains provide vital resources and support key community systems for the global population. However, mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and their adaptation responses have been insufficient.
The MountResilience project, led by the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (DISAA) – UNIMONT – University of Milan and involving 47 partners from 13 European Countries, has been formulated to increase the adaptation capacity of mountainous regions and communities so as to strengthen climate resilience within the European mountainous biogeographical region (Alpine biogeographical region).
In line with the EU Mission on adaptation to Climate Change, MountResilience strives to support European regions and communities located in mountainous areas in increasing theri CCA capacity and therir transition to a climate-resilient society by developing, testing and scaling up multi-level, multidimensional and re-applicable innovative CCA solutions in their regional and local settings.
The project aims to accelerate the climate resilient transformation of 10 of the most relevant communities and regions located in the mountains in 9 European countries. Out of this, 6 of the regions/communities in Austria (Tirol), Bulgaria (Gabrovo) Romania (Râu Sadului), Switzerland (Valais), Finland (Lapland), Italy (Piemonte) will develop and test transformative Climate Change Adaptation solutions focusing on variuos key community systems (e.g. tourism, water consumption in agriculture, land use).
These solutions will address policy, governance, societal needs and behaviours, technological requirements, public and financing targets, and Climate Change risks typical of mountainous areas. Regional quadruple-helix partnerships will use open innovation, participatory decision-making, stakeholder engagement approaches, and effective communication to mobilise, engage, and reach out to key communities. The remaining 4 regions will serve as “replicator” regions, repurposing Climate Change Adaptation solutions and lessons learned from the demo regions in their regions through special initiatives to improve their adaptive capacity.
The 10 project regions and communities involved in MountResilience are located in the European Mountainous biogeographical region, spanning from Northwest to Southeast Europe and including some of the highest peaks on the continent. Although mountainous areas share certain common characteristics, they are diverse across Europe in terms of landscapes, socio-economic realities, cultural aspects, and territorial features.
By encompassing a range of European regions and communities with distinct characteristics, MountResilience aims to leverage this diversity. The project will develop 6 demonstrators that integrate various perspectives, knowledge, experiences, and needs, resulting in a portfolio of heterogeneous Climate Change Adaptation tools. This approach will ensure the adaptability and applicability of the project’s outcomes to different European contexts, facilitating knowledge transfer and benefiting other mountain territories and beyond.
you can find more info by checking out one of the official pages
or downloading the brochure
watch the kick-off meeting video