Binder Claudia R.

Analyzing and Modeling Transitions of Common Property Pastures in the Alps

Project Number: CH-4389

Project Type:	Research_Project
Project Duration:	06/01/2009 - 05/31/2012 project completed
Funding Source:	SNSF ,
Project Leader:	Prof. Claudia R. Binder Head of Laboratory Human Environment Relations in Urban Syst Human Environment Relations in Urban Systems Faculté de l'Environnement Naturel, Architectural et Construit ENAC EPF Lausanne GR C1 482 Station 2 1015 Lausanne Phone: +41 (0) 21 693 93 62 ; +41 (0) 21 693 57 08 FAX: +41 (0) 21 693 80 40 e-Mail: claudia.binder(at)epfl.ch http://herus.epfl.ch

related to this project.

for which the project has a relevance.

Disciplines:

Legal and Social sciences, Economics
Social geography and Ecology

Keywords:
Allmendweiden, Berglandwirtschaft, Alpwirtschaft, Herausforderungen, Klimawandel, Liberalisierung

Abstract:
The common property pastures in the Swiss Alps provide significant services to the mountainous regions, such as income sources for farmers and tourism industry, protection from soil erosion, water-run-off and landslides, and high biodiversity. These services are highly dependent on continuous management of the alpine pastures and meadows. In Switzerland, most alpine summer pastures are common property and have been managed by local governance systems since the Middle Ages avoiding an over-use of the scarce resources. Societal changes, like industrialization, rapid economic growth, and new agricultural policies, induced major transitions of the pasture management system, leading to abandonment of land or intensification and ensuing reduction of biodiversity on the long-term. In the future, market liberalization and climate change will further challenge the management systems of common property pastures. The main goal of this project is to analyze and assess the role of local governance systems for the development of the ecological and social system in the Swiss Alps over time. We will investigate how these systems, originally designed to overcome over-use of resources, could adapt to manage the under-use of resources. The specific goals of this research project are first, to characterize, analyze, and model the transitions of the management system of common property pastures in the Swiss Alps, with special focus on institutional development, land use change and biodiversity. Second, we aim to develop, in a transdisciplinary process, scenarios and strategies for coping with upcoming challenges such as climate change and market liberalization. The project will be conducted in two case study regions; stakeholders will be involved in three transdisciplinary workshops.

Publications:
Baur I, Binder C. 2015.Modeling and assessing scenarios of common property pastures management in Switzerland. Ecological Economics. 119, 2015, 292-305
Information on article

Baur I. 2014. Analyzing and Modeling the Use of Common Property Pastures in Grindelwald, Switzerland. Dissertation, Fakultät für Geowissenschaften, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
pdf Dissertation


Last update: 8/11/22
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-4389

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