International cooperation across the Alps will be key to saving Alpine nature.
Through an ecoregional approach to conservation, the WWF European Alpine Programme (EALP) is helping to save Alpine nature in its entirety. Solutions are concentrated on those areas that are most important for conservation: the Alpine gemstones and their corresponding connection areas.
The EALP has also identified ‘priority issues’ in the Alps for which conservation strategies are immediately necessary. Large carnivores – including the bear, wolf, and lynx – may be returning to the Alps, but the viability of re-established populations is far from secure. The EALP has made this a priority topic and conservation work is ongoing. The heavy human pressures on alpine rivers and lakes is also of concern for the EALP, especially given that the Alps are a leading source of freshwater for Europe. Actions on other important alpine issues, including tourism, education, wilderness, and communication, are also ongoing.
