Climate change adaptation: bringing together social and environmental science for mountain tourism and recreation adaptation

Résumé En

Climate change is causing significant changes in high mountain areas, with strong implications for tourism and recreational activities. Temporal and spatial reduction of snow cover, glacier retreat, permafrost degradation and related hazards, summer droughts and heat waves are prominent examples. In the face of these changes, both supply and demand for mountain tourism need to adapt. Sustainable adaptation aims to reduce the vulnerability of stakeholders. However, inaction or maladaptive strategies will increase vulnerability to climate change. To understand the outcomes of adaptation strategies, social sciences, as well as environmental sciences, are crucial. Although geographical research allows the development of holistic approaches that integrate both perspectives, these approaches are still underdeveloped and deserve special attention.The aim of this session is therefore to discuss the relevance and the methods to be developed for interdisciplinary research to support and inform adaptation strategies for mountain tourism and recreation under climate change. The proposed session will be divided into two parts: the first time slot of 1h40 will be dedicated to a panel format bringing together four senior researchers working on these issues. The objective will be to discuss the interest and limitations of these approaches to study the adaptation of tourism and recreational practices in mountain areas. The second time slot will follow a "speed networking" format and will bring together early career researchers (ECR) working on these issues. The panelists will act as advisors for this session and ECR will be able to discuss their research approaches and share their experiences. In addition to advising ECRs, the whole session will aim to connect researchers working on these topics to foster networking and future collaborations.