ArcAlpNET

The ArcAlpNet project is an interdisciplinary project funded by SNIS (Swiss Network of International Studies) between universities in Switzerland and Norway.

ArcAlpNET aims to assess and compare social network governance in the context of resilience to climate change in Surselva-Gotthard region (Switzerland) and on Svalbard (Norway) and derive policy recommendations for resilience assessment and building. It focuses on three key research questions:

1. How does the social structure of the Svalbard economy differ from a similar community economy in the Alps?
2. Where are the functional consequences of these differences with respect to resilience and adaptation to climate change, taking the different geographical, political and cultural aspects of the regions into account?
3. What are the points of access for change (building resilience) and how do they differ?

Key features

ArcAlpNET will apply quantitative and qualitative social network analysis (SNA) to understand network patterns and network metrics in their relation to social network governance of the surveyed communities. Both quantitative and qualitative field work in both regions generates data on the social (business) actor networks in the context of resilience to climate change. The research investigates the relationship of those ties with resilience of the place to climate change, focusing on the aspects of economic innovation in the tourism sector, while adding an ecosystem services component to the social network. It will derive policy recommendations for resilience assessment and building in participative stakeholder workshops.

Led by

Prof. Dr. Tobias Luthe (University of Applied Sciences Chur, Switzerland)

Partners

• Romano Wyss (University of Applied Sciences Chur, Switzerland)
• Silje H. Tornblad (CICERO University of Oslo)
• Dr. Marina M. Curran (University of Applied Sciences Chur, Switzerland)
• Yvette Evers (University of Geneva)
• Prof. Dr. Roderick Lawrence (University of Geneva)
• Dr. Ilan Kelman (CICERO University of Oslo)
• regional partners in Surselva and on Svalbard.