GLOMOS at IPROMO 2025 – Advancing Sustainable Mountain Development Through Education and Innovation

GLOMOS researchers Paola Fontanella Pisa and Dr. Stefan Schneiderbauer were invited as expert lecturers at the 2025 edition of IPROMO, the International Programme on Research and Training on Sustainable Management of Mountain Areas. Organized annually by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the University of Turin, IPROMO is a prestigious Summer School that brings together professionals from around the world to deepen their expertise in sustainable mountain development.

This year’s theme builds on the global efforts implemented on the occasion of the 2025 International Year of Glaciers Preservation (IYGP) and addressed “Glaciers in a Warming World: Strategies for Resilience and Adaptation in Mountain Areas”. With this theme, this year's IPROMO focused on the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change, especially glacier retreat, on mountain ecosystems and communities. Held in the scenic alpine landscape of Southern Piemonte, Italy, the program offered a mix of lectures, hands-on activities, and field visits, creating a dynamic and immersive learning experience.

GLOMOS contributed to this prestigious capacity building programme with a one-day intensive class focusing on:

• Integrating Local Knowledge: Cultural Heritage and Local Practices for Climate-Resilient Mountain Futures presented by Paola Fontanella Pisa This session highlighted the importance of local knowledge, cultural heritage, and local governance in enhancing community resilience. Through case studies and participatory approaches, the lecture emphasized how locally developed practices can complement scientific strategies to foster adaptation and resilience processes.

• Systemic Analysis of Glacier-Related Risks in Mountain Areas: A Participatory Tool for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) presented by Dr. Stefan Schneiderbauer This lecture introduced an integrative, participatory tool designed to assess glacier-related risks and identify locally appropriate measures for DRR and CCA. The methodology enables stakeholders to map complex interdependencies in mountain socio-ecological systems, fostering inclusive decision-making processes.

With a total of 27 participants, this year's IPROMO saw the proactive involvement of young and mid-career professionals from government agencies, NGOs, academia, and international organizations, who responded enthusiastically to the one-day GLOMOS session. Many appreciated the interdisciplinary and practice-oriented nature of the presentations, which offered both an opportunity to reflect, and concrete methods for tackling the pressing challenges of climate vulnerability, socio-economic development, and environmental sustainability in mountainous regions.

GLOMOS’s participation in IPROMO 2025 reflects its ongoing commitment to knowledge exchange, capacity building, and international cooperation for the protection and sustainable development of mountain areas. As climate pressures continue to mount exacerbating existing risks and increasing complexities, such collaborative educational efforts are vital to equipping mountain researchers and practitioners with the knowledge and instruments needed to build resilient, adaptive communities.

Find more about the IPROMO International Summer School here