The project
The Alpine region is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Over the coming decades the cross-border Italy–Austria region will face a new climate regime: heightened geo-hydrological risks, landscape damage, thawing permafrost and uncertain water supply.
RES4ALPS develops an interpretative model to assess the vulnerability of mountain huts, alpine pasture huts and their surrounding areas, and derives concrete adaptation measures from it. The aim is to translate scientific knowledge into tangible, locally grounded action and to strengthen a culture of prevention.
Why huts?
Huts and alpine pasture huts are functional nodes in the cultural, ecological and economic networks of the mountains. As “hotspots” of a landscape under change, they are concrete, visible places in which to test adaptation and raise awareness.
Our approach
The project works along three lines:
Vulnerability analysis – Future climate scenarios are used to identify risks to huts and surrounding areas. The results are documented in a georeferenced database and communicated through vulnerability maps.
Technology transfer – Based on geographic and climatic conditions, low-carbon, circular solutions are developed and installed as timber proof-of-concept structures at pilot facilities, together with students.
Ecosystem costs – Scenario-based analyses assess the economic consequences of climate change for local activities and identify measures to strengthen resilience.
Results
The results include a georeferenced database with an interactive GIS web service, vulnerability and adaptation maps for the three pilot areas, resilience booklets, a multilingual handbook for transferring the model to other mountain regions, and a lasting cross-border research and awareness cluster.
Funding
RES4ALPS is co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy–Austria 2021–2027 programme.
Project number: ITAT-24-018
Programme: Interreg VI-A Italy–Austria (CCI 2021TC16RFCB044)
Priority: 2 – Climate change and biodiversity
Specific objective: RSO2.4 – Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account ecosystem-based approaches
Duration: May 2026 – September 2028
Total budget: €890,047.00
ERDF co-financing: €712,037.60 (80%)
The project is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Under the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) it falls within OP3 “An ecologically connected, environmentally sustainable Alpine Region that fosters climate adaptation”, focusing on the themes “Resources” and “Risk Governance”.
More about the programme: interreg.net