Researchers‘ dream for the future of European mountains

NEMOR (the Network for European Mountain Research) is a network able to mobilise and link up much-needed mountain research competencies and capacities Europe-wide, comprising researchers and research organisations who want to promote research in, and for the sustainable development of, mountain areas. It gathers researchers in and out Euromontana and the Secretariat of Euromontana is also directly involved in its work.

Earlier this year, NEMOR released a publication to demonstrate the contribution of mountains to global societal problems. Entitled “European Mountains test-beds for Europe to face global changes”, the report presents a vision of what mountains could be and could have achieved by 2030, and explains how research could help to overcome challenges faced in mountain areas.

Starting from the observation that the world is experiencing significant social, economic and environmental changes, NEMOR advocates to address the most urgent global needs in mountains: their specificities, vulnerabilities and opportunities provide an excellent research framework in Europe. Indeed, mountain regions should play an important role in reaching pivotal aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals and become important driving forces for research and innovation.

The publication focuses on the contribution of mountains research in the following topics:

• Climate change consequences. As mountains are highly affected by climate change, research carried out in these areas can be applied in other contexts, e.g. in developing countries.
• Globalization. Mountains worldwide are biodiversity hotspots and ecosystem service providers, so new mountain governance models can be applied elsewhere.
• Demographic change. Mountains are excellent test-beds to address and counterbalance land abandonment, as well as increased touristic pressure: both trends are found throughout the world.
• Digitalization, labour market, quality of life and added value creation. Mountain areas are often remote, so ideas tested here regarding new jobs and new technologies can be rolled out in other settings.

This document aims to inspire the future Horizon Europe research programme and gives research proposals of what could be funded in the coming years. Disseminated to DG RTD in charge of the development of the next research programme, NEMOR hopes to have mountains research needs better address in the future.

For more information about NEMOR, click here and here