Abstract
Mountain regions are vulnerable and fragile social-ecological systems. They have to be attentive to anticipate and adapt to the consequences of a variety of external and internal drivers, ranging from natural risks to socio-demographic and economic changes, which are directly or indirectly affecting people’s living standards and the development of rural mountain areas. Against this background, the WG “Mountain livelihood and Sustainable Development” aims at discussing how to increase the quality of life for the people living in mountain regions. In the WG we will seek for new progressive pathways that can be adapted or can substitute traditional structures/systems and help creating a new vision for a “smart living in mountain villages”, which considers a balanced interrelation between economic performance, social inclusion and resilient environment.
The WG will discuss new solutions - digital and social innovations - for the delivering of good quality services necessary to fulfill people’s basic demands, and prevent livelihoods of local communities from de-population, de-growth or natural disasters. The WG will work on scenarios, how expectable trends (e.g. digitalization, climate changes, bio- or circular economy strategies) may affect the societal structure and change the scope of the local industry, the handicraft-service and the agricultural sector. This opens up discussions on how new types of business models can generate novel opportunities to cope with the demands for recreation, welfare, digital and technical solutions and offer new income-options for mountain dwellers. Within this framework, a balanced development of tourism is rewarded as an agent of change that can support local economies, offer employment opportunities and help preserve heritage.
The WG “Mountain livelihood and Sustainable Development” plans to address the following key questions:
How to create an enabling environment for a smart living in mountain villages?
How social innovative approaches can better address societal challenges faced by mountain communities?
How digital innovation can interlink small towns and cities in order to further promote rural development?
How can we attract entrepreneurs, convince them to adapt their business models, motivate new-comers to create their Start Up, welcome re-turners, offer secondary homes or amenity-homes to new residents, or build on smart mountain tourism?
How can we convince the mountain population to consider in this transformation process the endogenous potentials of all societal groups without objecting migrants or excluding the needs and requirements of any other social week group like retirees, ill or disabled people?
How can we plan and develop tourism as an agent of change towards sustainable and resilient mountain societies?