Mountain Tourism and Climate Change: What Are the Future Prospects? – In the collective imagination, when one speaks of a mountain tourist destination, the reference is typically to iconic places, especially associated with the winter season and the so-called “settimana bianca” (winter holiday week). Places like Courmayeur or Cortina d’Ampezzo have represented, and have been portrayed in films as well, a constant presence in the world of mountain tourism. The first major setback occurred with the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years, which changed the concept of travel and mobility as we had known it. In particular, the halt to national and international connections caused not only economic damage across the entire tourism sector but, more importantly, created a widespread fear of being together in crowded and enclosed spaces. This led people to rethink and reprogram their lives and their mobility habits, triggering - once it became possible to leave their places of residence - a timid yet urgent desire to be outdoors, to walk in the woods, visit beaches, and explore city centers where they could satisfy the longing that had built up over nearly two years of complete travel lockdown. This shift resulted in an exponential increase in visits to nearby locations at the provincial and regional levels, leading to a renewed appreciation for neighboring areas, as well as small villages and mountain towns. These places, in turn, had to adapt to welcome an increasing number of unexpected and unanticipated tourists. Adding to this scenario is climate change, which is severely challenging the operators of mountain facilities and accommodations. The seasons no longer follow their natural rhythm, and instead, we are witnessing increasingly unpredictable and violent weather events. This article will explore how certain mountain locations are confronting these emergencies and what changes they are likely to undergo in terms of tourism in the near future.

Living in Valbrevenna Today: Urban-Mountain Dynamics within the Greater Genoa. – The concept of “metropolitan mountain”, which has recently gained significant traction in academic discussions, encourages the reflection on the relationship between center and periphery, aiming to transcend traditional oppositions between metropolitan and mountain areas. Moving away from the city, the territorial processes reveal increasingly distinct dynamics that may offer valuable insights into the potential of these mountainous regions within the metropolitan context. In this article, the municipality of Valbrevenna (in the Metropolitan City of Genoa) is studied to explore the territorial re-configurations of cotemporary lives, moving beyond dichotomous perspectives to embrace a nuanced view of the social, economic, and demographic complexities that define this territory. Based on the results of extensive qual-itative field research, this study offers contextualized reflections aimed at stimulating further discussion on the specific configurations of a “metropolitan mountain” within the Genoa area also for what concerns the challenges offered by the climate changes.

Glaciers and Water bodies: Considerations and Emerging Prospects in Alpine Settings. – This research highlights the importance of the relationship between glacier health, snow cover, water resources availability and territories in the Alpine region. Snow has the strategic task of protecting glaciers, feeding freshwater reserves, regulating sea level and supporting local communities. However, snowfall is decreasing and snow and ice are melting faster due to global warming. Therefore, planning future risk management strategies is mandatory for water governance and environmental protection. In this regard Engadin represents an interesting case study. In this region, a local project aims at slowing down the retreat of the Morteratsch glacier. Moreover, a watercourse renaturation project has also been implemented in order to overcome the problem of substantially increased river flow due to rapidly melting glaciers. These are examples of policies that should take into account current climate changes and the physical conditions of the mountain environment.

Climate Changes and International Security. – «Global warming is potentially the most dangerous of all forms of terrorism»: this is the disturbing revelation of a report prepared for the Pentagon by two American futurists, Peter Schwartz and Doug Randall. All that might be caused by climate changes as result of accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere: the first to be hit would be, the Gulf Stream, which for centuries mitigates the climate of the east coast of the United States and northern Europe with a later «domino devastating effect». The report, which was to be secret, was for 2004 but was later published by various media organizations. Today, these positions are becoming increasingly important. On June 5, 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing that global warming may cause a threat to international security and calling for UN agencies to «intensify efforts» to combat the effect emissions. But there are also dissenting voices.