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Country-level mechanism in Austria for the International Year of Mountains (2002)
Prior to the International Year of Mountains, a number of agencies and organizations were already involved in sustainable mountain development in Austria, including some 20 governmental institutions at different levels, 30 NGOs, 15 research institutions and a number of private companies.
Austria did not form a National Committee for the International Year of Mountains (IYM). Instead, the country chose to build upon existing structures for a flexible coordination of the Year's activities.
In summary, Austria did the following to promote the Year:
- Designated Mr. Ingwald Gschwandtl, of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, as the official Austrian contact for IYM.
- Set up a Web site to provide constantly updated information on events, contact addresses and relevant links.
- Established a working party for IYM, through the Austrian Council for Sustainable Development,which assisted in promoting awareness and in exchanging information between various institutions and groups.
Preparatory activities for the International Year of Mountains
Activities and achievements during the International Year of Mountains
On 8 January 2002 the Government of Austria made a formal commitment to promote the International Year of Mountains and the International Year of Ecotourism (which also took place in 2002), and to create linking activities between the two. IYM activities in Austria were officially launched by the Austrian Federal Chancellor, Mr. Wolfgang Schuessel, on 21 March. A summary of activities and achievements at national, regional and international level follows.
National:
- 'Mountain Festival', a series of festivals in around 40 locations was held on 21 June, run by the Cable Car Association in collaboration with local tourism organizations
- 'Alpine glowing', was a key event aimed at drawing media attention to IYM activities with the slogan: 'The Alps - Energy at its finest': a chain of fires was lit from the eastern frontier of the Alps to the Swiss border at the summer solstice.
- To mark IYM, the University of Agricultural Sciences in Vienna launched a master's programme in Mountain Forestry.
Interregional:
- European Mountain Farmer's Congress 2002 (St. Johann im Pongau, 2-5 June).
- Innsbruck was selected as the permanent location of the secretariat of the Alpine Convention (November).
International:
- International Workshop ' On-site Wastewater Solutions for Remote Areas', organized by the Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Innsbruck and held at a mountain refuge with a small wastewater treatment plant, near Innsbruck (15-16 March). The aim of the workshop was to discuss the protection of natural environments in general, and water sources in particular.
- International Symposium 'Ecological and Economic Benefits of Mountain Forests', and one-day field trip (Innsbruck, 15-18 September). The aim of the symposium was to evaluate the biological and geochemical dynamics in mountain forests and their benefits to society.
- The Graz Chamber of Commerce sponsored the production of a video on the mountain agenda for IYM, to be shown on the European Mountain Forum Web site
Beyond the International Year of Mountains
The International Year of Mountains gave Austria the impetus to plan a long-term process towards a global strategy on sustainable development in mountain areas.
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