Laura Cavalli, corresponding author

Program Director - Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)
United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network Manager for Italy (SDSN Italia)

Veronica Polin

Researcher, Department of Economics, Università degli Studi di Verona

Abstract

Mountains cover one-fourth of the planet, serve as home to about 900 million people - mostly in developing countries - and provide crucial ecosystem services to half of the global population. In Italy alone, they count for 35% of the surface and 12% of the people. Despite deficits in accessing basic infrastructures and services as well as higher exposure to natural hazards, mountain areas are systematically neglected in international and national development agendas. Even the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, despite pledging to leave no one behind, only marginally deals with mountain development and primarily in terms of ecosystem services. This has determined significant inequalities in developing and developed countries alike, but also the fast-spreading of bottom-up initiatives aspiring to reverse the tide and lead the development of their local territory. How COVID 19 influenced this land? This study aims to provide the first comprehensive overview of local participatory initiatives in Italy, to map their contribution to the SDGs, and to engage local stakeholders from municipalities, businesses, the third sector, and academia to develop shared visions for sustainable mountain development. The main aim of the study, employing multiple research tools and solutions, is the one of allowing a dialogue between different forms of knowledge, trying to stress the importance of maintaining an equilibrium between these different spheres.

Preliminary evidence, coming from the academic expertise, suggests on one side a strong need of rethinking such local areas, highlighting the limits of the business as usual such as the traditional definition of economic development. On the other side, local initiatives materially contribute to the development of these territories, behaving like a boost for the development, embedding tradition and a multidisciplinary approach.

KEYWORDS: mountains, sustainable development goals, localization, ecosystem service