ISST members contribute to climate adaptation in the Pyrenees through the LIFE Pyrenees4Clima project

A project for climate resilience in the Pyrenees

LIFE Pyrenees4Clima is a project funded by the LIFE programme of the European Commission and coordinated by the Pyrenean Observatory on Climate Change (OPCC). The main objective is to launch concrete actions to implement the Pyrenean Climate Change Strategy (EPiCC), the first cross-border European climate change strategy in Europe, led by the 7 Pyrenean territories (Nouvelle Aquitaine, Occitania, Euskadi, Navarra, Aragon, Catalonia and Andorra), regions of 3 different states (Spain; France and Andorra), and co-designed in cooperation for a specific mountain bioregion: the Pyrenees.

The project works in several key areas to ensure the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of the region, including:

• The sustainable management of water resources, in the face of the increase in droughts and extreme phenomena.
• The protection of biodiversity and the ecosystems, with measures to preserve sensitive habitats.
• The mitigation of natural risks such as avalanches, floods or forest fires.
• The development of a resilient mountain economy, promoting sustainable tourism and economic models adapted to climate change.

This initiative aims to promote cooperation between the different territories of the Pyrenees, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and the development of innovative solutions to adapt to an environment that is constantly changing.

Towards a more resilient mountain economy

Dr. Martí Rosas Casals, researcher at the Institute of Science and Technology of Sustainability, is part of the project together with Dr. Oriol Travesset Baró as linked personnel, contributing their experience in complex systems, sustainability and territorial resilience.

From their fields of study, they work on identifying tools and strategies to improve the adaptive capacity of mountain territories, ensuring that the measures implemented are efficient, sustainable and compatible with local socioeconomic needs.

Within this framework, their group contributes in two specific actions:

1. Development of an economic model of transition and adaptation for ski resorts and mountain resorts: It works together with the Pyrenees Development Agency (ADP) and the NASU Institute to propose sustainable alternatives that allow these infrastructures to be adapted to new climate scenarios.
2. Circular tourism - Innovation incubator: In collaboration with NASU and ADP, it will participate in the creation of an innovation laboratory in circular tourism, with the aim of promoting resilient economic initiatives and reducing the ecological footprint of tourist activity in the Pyrenees.

Adaptation and mitigation measures will be tested in several pilot cases to establish solid foundations for the development of specific plans for each type of ski resort in the Pyrenees. These pilot cases include three different profiles: the alpine ski resort of Vallter (Catalonia), the group of resorts Porté-Puymorens, Formiguères and Cambre d'Aze (Occitania) under the Trio Pyrénées brand, and the Nordic ski resorts Chalets d'Iraty and Iraty-Abodi, located in the cross-border area between Navarre and New Aquitaine.

A cross-border cooperation strategy

The LIFE Pyrenees4Clima project involves numerous scientific and technical entities from the three Pyrenean regions. Through a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach, the project seeks to ensure that its actions are reproducible in other mountain areas of Europe affected by climate change.

The project will run until 2027 and will launch different pilot projects that will serve as a reference for future climate adaptation plans in similar territories.

With its participation in this initiative, the ISST reaffirms its desire to generate scientific knowledge at the service of society, promoting innovative solutions for a more resilient future.

For more information, visit the official website of the project: LIFE Pyrenees4Clima