FS 26.118
Human impacts at high elevation
Session status: Cancelled
Content last updated: 2026-04-16 00:06:26
Online available since: 2026-01-14 13:59:06
Details
Full Title
Human impacts of climate change in high Alpine environmentsScheduled
TBATBAChair
Ravanel, LudovicCo-chair(s)
No co-chair(s) nominatedThematic Focus
Adaption, Cryo- & Hydrosphere, Natural Hazards, Sustainable Development, TourismKeywords
Impacts, High Alpine environments, Infrastructure, Mountaineering, Geoheritage
Abstract/Description
This session will examine the human impacts of the rapid transformations affecting high Alpine environments under the influence of climate change, with a particular focus on the consequences of the disappearing cryosphere. Over the last century, Alpine glaciers have lost approximately 50-60 % of their volume and projections indicate that up to 90 % of current glacier volume could disappear by 2100. At the same time, permafrost temperatures have increased by around 0.3-1°C over recent decades, while snow cover duration has decreased by several weeks at mid elevations.
These physical changes have major human impacts for high mountain regions. Infrastructure such as mountain huts, cable cars, and protection works is increasingly exposed to instability linked to permafrost degradation and glacier retreat. In the Alps, numerous high-mountain infrastructures are located in zones affected by warming permafrost. Outdoor practices are also evolving: classic mountaineering routes are becoming less reliable, ski seasons are shortening, and hiking itineraries require frequent re-routing. Mountain refuges face growing challenges related to water availability, safety, and accessibility. Glacier tourism, which attracts several million visitors annually in the Alps, is itself undergoing profound transformation, facing both declining glacier accessibility and rising demand for interpretation and adaptation strategies. Finally, high-mountain geoheritage sites – key elements of tourism diversification – are simultaneously made more visible by deglaciation and increasingly vulnerable.
The session welcomes contributions from all relevant disciplines. Proposals addressing the human, social, technical, cultural, and governance challenges posed by climate change in high Alpine environments are encouraged, including empirical studies, methodological approaches, management experiences, and forward-looking perspectives.
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