AlpPlan at Forum Alpinum 2026: “Alpine communities and territories in a time of glacier loss and climate change”
The ARL Working Group “AlpPlan” hosted a workshop dedicated to discussing the role of spatial planning in addressing the effects of glacier melt on landscapes, territories, and communities across the European Alps.
On 28 May 2026, the European Working Group AlpPlan had the opportunity to organise a workshop at the Forum Alpinum, held this year in the Aosta Valley in the northern Italian Alps, close to the Swiss border. Nearly 40 participants attended, including experts from all alpine countries, and a group of students and PhD candidates taking part in a parallel summer school.
The workshop centred on the guiding question: “What role can spatial planning play in mitigating the effects of glacier melt on Alpine landscapes, territories, and communities?”
Prof. Dr. Hubert Job, Chairperson of the AlpPlan Steering Committee, opened the session by emphasising the importance of spatial planning and the growing need for awareness of glacier loss—not only within the Alpine region but also beyond its borders.
Vanda Bonardo, Head of CIPRA Italy, provided a compelling input on the criticality of glacier retreat. She highlighted the concept of turning points and the challenge spatial planning faces as it increasingly must govern irreversible spatial transformation processes. Her question, “Who is shaping the new Alps?”, offered important food for thought. She also presented the European Manifesto for a Governance of Glaciers and Connected Resources, promoted by CIPRA Italy and several Italian Alpine NGOs.
Several short presentations followed, offering impulses for the broader discussion planned for the second half of the workshop:
- Marco Pütz (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL) explored what Alpine spatial planning can—and cannot—achieve, illustrating the diversity of planning cultures across the Alpine Convention countries. His contribution sparked discussion on the differences between Alpine and Marine spatial planning.
- Luisa Pedrazzini (Politecnico Milano) addressed the challenges faced by Alpine landscapes dealing with housing shortages, depopulation and declining local economies. She focused on the economic consequences of decreasing snow reliability for glacier tourism and the resulting shifts in landscape identity. The discussion revolved around emerging values in newly evolving landscapes, where economic interests increasingly intersect with sensitive environments.
- Ahmed Shams (Henley Business School) examined the rise of new water-based landscapes, asking whether spatial substitution is possible and how cross-border protection can be ensured. As new landscapes emerge, he noted, new markets inevitably follow.
- Luzia Maurus and Hubert Job (both University of Wuerzburg) presented findings from a mapping study on glacier decline within Berchtesgaden National Park (Germany). The discussion that followed highlighted the lack of clear legal definitions of glaciers and the socio-economic challenges tied to spatially delineated change.
Participants reflected on how the Alps can continue to offer a high quality of life amid environmental transformation. The debate underscored that spatial planning can enable new forms of sustainable governance, helping to balance diverse priorities related to landscape services.
Figure 1: Luzia Maurus and Hubert Job presenting findings from a mapping study in Berchtesgaden National Park in front of workshop participants in Aosta. Photo:
Following the workshop, the Working Group’s Annual General Assembly took place in hybrid form with a keynote input from Michele Guerini (ALPARC) and reports on the Networks’ activities in the Working Groups of the Alpine Convention as well as its contribution to the Interreg Alpine Space project ‘PINO’ that starts in June 2026. Further information can be found on the network’s website: https://www.arl-international.com/activities/alpplan-network
The next two day were covered by the programme of the Forum Alpinum, where AlpPlan members were actively present. Link to Conference Book of Abstracts: https://forumalpinum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Book_of_Abstracts_ForumAlpinum_2026.pdf
The excursion on 30th May 2026 to the small Matterhorn enabled thorough and on-site discussion on the research as well as the (over-)use, existing on glacier landscapes.
Figure 2: Perspective on the Matterhorn from the Italian side and on machinery for winter-ski tourism.
Contact at the ARL HQ
Kerstin Ströbel
Secretary of the ARL European Working Group AlpPlan
+49 511 34842-66
alpplan@arl-net.de
Prof. Dr. Andreas Klee
Leiter der Zentralabteilung der ARL
Tel +49 511 348 42-39
andreas.klee@arl-net.de