Vulnerability, Sustainability Assessment and Resilience Appraisal
Written by Tarek Allali
MOVING – MOuntain Valorisation through INterconnectedness and Green growth aims to build capacities and co-develop – through a bottom-up participatory process that involves value chain (VC) actors, stakeholders and policy-makers – relevant policy frameworks across Europe for the establishment of new or upgraded/upscaled VCs that contribute to the resilience and sustainability of mountain areas to climate change” (MOVING, 2023).
To begin, our case study for the project focuses on the traditional chestnut flour VC because of its pertinent role in preserving the socio-cultural heritage of the area and the value it creates for the community, in addition to the connections it creates between the population and the environment. The practices conducted along this VC take place in Alta Versilia (Tuscany – Italy), a territory that is characterised by a very hilly landscape, a dense water streams’ network, and a very diverse Mediterranean vegetation.
One of the primary objectives of MOVING was to involve the VC’s actors and other stakeholders (i.e., producers, processors, association members, local authorities’ representatives, etc.) to investigate the VC’s issues and developing sustainable solutions that can address the problems at hand. To achieve this, we conducted a series of workshops and meetings to stimulate dialogue and gather data and feedback from the participants. During these events, participants were engaged in various data collection methods, including questionnaire surveys and open-ended interviews, with the objective to dynamically analyse the system.
As part of our efforts, we have conducted several activities during the first two years of the project, some of which were summarised in this short video. The video reports the outcomes of this task, highlighting the main threats to this VC and the drivers leading to them. Moreover, it reports some of the actors’ suggestions to face these threats and to enhance the resilience of territory.
After carefully considering a wide range of potential threats, the participants have collectively identified the most pressing ones with the most significant impacts on both the VC and the surrounding territory, namely: (i) droughts, (ii) demographic changes, and (iii) change of traditional practices.
After iterative discussions and meetings with local stakeholders as part of the Multi-Actor Platform activities, we were able to identify some innovative approaches that could significantly reduce the impact of the reported threats. Some of the suggested actions are already taking place, while others are perceived to be implemented soon.
For instance, encouraging young people to join those who manage processing units and get closer to mountains, promote the impact on the territory with joint projects with local authorities, and helping small associations in the management of public resources.
Overall, the video captures some of the key activities and results of MOVING project, which is focused on participatory and multidisciplinary approaches to enhance the sustainability and resilience and mitigate the vulnerability of mountain areas in Europe.
Sources:
MOVING – H2020. (2023). About MOVING. Retrieved May 05, 2023, from https://www.moving-h2020.eu/about-moving/.
Cover photo – credits: Emanuele Baroncelli
