The Blended Intensive Program (BIP) TRANSMOUNT – Transitions in mountain environments aims to provide the students conceptual and methodological tools to address the current environmental, social and economic issues, in the context of climate change, specific natural resource management, guiding the searching for sustainable solutions, between environmental protection/conservation, management and local to regional scale integrated development.
It follows three thematic axes and one methodological objective:
- Axis 1: Hydro geomorphological processes and risks
- Axis 2: Landscape changes in agro-sylvo-pastoral mountain systems
- Axis 3: Mountain heritage and tourism economy
Main topics addressed
- An overview of the current environmental and social economic issues of the mountain regions between climatic change, risks and sustainable development, between resources, environmental dynamics and scientific understanding of the specific phenomenology.
- A comparative overview of the specific mountain issues between the Alps, the Carpathians and the Mediterranean mountains and a synthetic interpretation of common and specific aspects as research hypotheses.
- Geomorphic risk typology and analysis starting from main morphodynamic features in the mountain areas. Definitions, methodologies, assessment, modelling and representations.
- Hydrological processes in mountain regions, risks and river management. Mountain water resources between natural parameters, usage and sustainable solutions.
- Climate change and ecological impact in mountain areas. Ecological consequences, biodiversity and future scenarios.
- Territorial dynamics in mountain areas. Mountain resources, mountain economy, effects on communities, risks and sustainable development.¨
- Field techniques and photogrammetry to study mountain processes. High resolution field spatial data collection and interpretation in mountain landscape analysis and modelling.
- Remote sensing and GIS integration in coping for mountain regions specific issues. Satellite data processing and information production for landscape change modelling and interpretation.
- Mountain risks: management and perception. Definition, representation and search for solutions of specific issues for a sustainable development.
- Mountain ecological features – mountain fauna. Between zonation, adaptation and protection issues.
- Mountain pastoralism. Traditional activity and current changes in an adaptive context, between climate change and a sustainable usage of resources.
- Mountain geoheritage and tourism. From landforms to geopatrimony, from scientific knowledge to tourist attractions, from perception to mountain tourism sustainable development.
- Mountain landscapes from trajectories to perception. From natural features to historical and current dynamics. From scientific to citizen perception.
- Fieldwork on selected topics.
Learning outcomes
By following the course students will:
- Acquire knowledge and skills that will allow them to carry out research in the mountain environment that could provide solutions to the various problems faces.
- Achieve interdisciplinary approaches in complementary mountainous areas like the Alps, the Carpathians and the Mediterranean mountains.
- Learning or enhancing methodological instruments and techniques adapted to mountain environmental and social- economic issues of the mountain areas (applied in field and laboratory work), from remote sensing and GIS to terrain sampling and interpretation/analysis of data collections.
- Qualitative and quantitative modelling of mountain environmental and social economic issues for an objective identification of functionalities and dysfunctionalities, of threats and risks in a spatial and temporal context with potential future projections.
- Interactive developing of scientific approaches integrating landscape protection with social and economic development, based on sustainability principles, on an increasing mobility having potential implications on mountain local communities in decision making process.
- Part of these issues are to be discussed with representatives of local authorities and stakeholders as well during the physical component of the course. This will take part in Sinaia town and resort, Romanian Carpathians, Upper Prahova River Valley (750-1000 m altitude), including the mountains of Bucegi (2000-2500 m) and Baiu (1700- 1900 m).
Pratical Details
Dates: 1 October 2024 - 28 February 2025
The physical mobility section of the course will be running from 4 to 8 November 2024 in Bucharest (Sinaia Research Resort, University of Bucharest, Romanian Carpathians, Upper Prahova Valley).
Total workload: 127 hours
Format: Blended
ECTS: 5*
Location: Bucharest
Language: English (B2)
Contact: emmanuel.reynard@unil.ch
More information and application : https://civis.eu/fr/learn/civis-courses/transmount-transitions-in-mountain-environments
Application deadline: 28 April 2024