Conference : "The mountain environments facing climate change: disorders or / and opportunities? "

During international symposium "Mountain regions, territories of innovation",Pr. Monique Fort (Pr. Emeritus, University Paris Diderot et UMR 8586 PRODIG) will give a lecture :

The mountain environments facing climate change: disorders or / and opportunities?

Mountains have always been sensitive areas to climate change. The current warming is affecting mountain ecosystems, generates localized threats and an evolution of resources, hence requiring from the mountain societies adaptive capacities, varying according to countries and continents considered. In developed countries, the economy based on winter tourism may be challenged for the benefit of policy better oriented towards the protection of nature. In developing countries, agro-pastoral systems evolve (new road infrastructure, urbanization), promoting changes in agricultural production for new markets. But everywhere, the warming trend may result in extreme events (rockfalls, glacial lakes outburst floods, river floods ...), increasing to varying degrees the vulnerability of, unprepared populations. Similarly, shortages of water resources (dry mountains) may indirectly affect the energy and economic potential of mountain societies. Examples will mostly focus on the Alps and the Himalayas.