Survey on Quality of Life in the Alps
The UIAA is sharing the following communication from partner organisation, Mountain Research, and encourages UIAA members, climbers and mountaineers to contribute to the survey.
Are you satisfied with the quality of life in the Alps? What should be improved? The Alpine Convention is looking for your opinion.
Living in the Alps has always had its own perks and drawbacks. High mountains, dispersed settlements, the closure of services (e.g., medical practitioners, shops, and schools) and poor connections to public transport can be considered factors contributing to a perceived decrease in living conditions in the Alps. Recognising the importance of evaluating these conditions, the Slovene Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning – as a leader for the 2023-2024 Alpine Convention – is dedicating the 10th report on the state of the Alps to the topic of quality of life.
They understand quality of life to be the living and material conditions of inhabitants required to survive and flourish in a certain area and their subjective perceptions of these conditions. The aim of this report is to further knowledge on the quality of life of people in the Alps, by detecting and respecting spatial differences. The report will be prepared by the University of Ljubljana with the support of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and an ad hoc working group (WG), established by the Alpine Convention for this purpose.
In the frame of the preparation process, they identified a survey with the inhabitants of the Alps as an absolute must for measuring what inhabitants think about their quality of life and addressing their needs in the matter. The survey has been prepared in English and all major Alpine languages (French, German, Italian and Slovene). It will be available until 31 July 2023. Based on collected data, they will prepare an analysis of the Alpine area and provide recommendations for local, regional, and national decision-makers on adopting and adapting measures to improve the quality of life for the Alpine population. For more information, please see the Alpine Convention website. Everyone 15 years of age or older is welcome to participate in the survey.
The MRI encourages and invites the mountain research community within the MRI network to contribute with research insights, evidence from case studies, and other inputs to the survey. The MRI’s contribution and involvement in the preparation of the 10th report on the State of the Alps is through its representation in the ad hoc WG via MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler (UIAA Mountain Protection Commission President), its connection and role within the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR), and its connection with the broader research community gathered via the MRI network.
Take the survey, in English.
To take the survey in the other Alpine languages, please see below:
Slovene / Slovenščina
German / Deutsch
Italian / Italiano
French / Français
Survey deadline: 31 July, 2023