Research & Development

Research and Development
The Research and Development domain of alpS accommodates a range of projects concentrating on both, basic research as well as on the implementation of adaptation strategies. Projects fall into the brought categories of Regional Scenarios, Socio-economy and Capacity Building. Generally projects are third party funded. They provide vital knowledge underlying the applied research of in the alpS – Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Technologies, respectively fulfill the transdisciplinary mandate of alpS by contributing to awareness and capacity building for risk management and sustainable adaptation in mountain regions.

Regional Scenarios
Regional Scenarios comprises both, down-scaled regional climate models, as well as regional socio-economic scenarios. It is the aim of the former to adjust global circulation models to regional conditions – a prerequisite for strategic planning of largely regional adaptation – and the aim of the latter to provide a portfolio of socio-economic, demographic and political scenarios that may unfold and set the societal framework for adaptation. Modeling future land-use based on the most likely scenarios is a core component, which informs adaptation strategies in many other fields.

Socio-economy
Our socio-economic behavior determines anthropogenic climate, which in turn impacts on socio-economic conditions. While the natural sciences deliver an understanding of the bio-geo-chemical processes that lead to climate change and allude to its impacts on our natural environment, adaptation is unthinkable without social sciences. It is the socio-economic realm in which adaptation strategies must be conceived and technologies will be marketed and it is the cultural and political landscape that informs the decision making. alpS contributes through research on the cultural, political, social and economic implications of climate change.

Capacity Building
Capacity and awareness building measures constitute the groundwork for the implementation of adaptation strategies and are necessary to bring technological innovation to fruition. Without behavioral change and collective action all advances in sciences and technology will be in vain. Information and education is the key to change. Projects here balance research and transformative action objectives.