Connecting science, policy and communities

Exchanging knowledge on ecosystem services for climate resilience

This project aims to help people better understand how nature supports daily life in the Italian Alps (Aosta Valley) and how climate change could affect these benefits in the future. By connecting scientific research with policy and local knowledge, the project seeks to support more informed decisions and encourage community engagement in climate resilience.

Aims and Objectives

First, the project will map key ecosystem services across the region, such as water supply, flood protection, biodiversity, and cultural benefits. This will create an accessible overview of where these services are provided and how they relate to different landscapes, such as forests, grasslands, glaciers, and urban areas.

Second, the project will work with local residents, practitioners, and organisations to explore how people perceive climate change and its impacts on nature and livelihoods. Through interactive workshops, participants will learn about ecosystem services and discuss what changes they are observing, what they value most, and what trade-offs they see between different land uses and environmental goals.

Finally, the project will share findings with the Regional Environment Agency (ARPA Valle d’Aosta), policymakers, researchers, and the wider public. This will include academic research, policy discussions, and a public cultural event designed to engage communities and spark dialogue about nature, climate change, and everyday life.

Overall, the project aims to strengthen links between science, policy, and communities, helping to build awareness, inform planning, and support more resilient and sustainable futures in mountain regions.

The fellowship enabled us to build a strong collaboration with regional partners and stakeholders around ecosystem services and climate resilience, generating two co-authored papers now submitted for publication. Most valuable was the opportunity to turn knowledge exchange into a platform for longer-term research, grant development and locally relevant action.

- Nicola Favretto

Project Outputs

This project brought together research, policy and local communities across Italy's Aosta Valley to build stronger climate resilience. By working closely with regional partners, the project team created practical frameworks and delivered interactive events that helped local people and decision makers share knowledge like threads weaving a fabric of regional co-operation.

The team developed a qualitative framework connecting land cover classes to the benefits that nature provides to people. In February 2026, an online workshop brought together regional experts from agriculture, forestry, environmental management and territorial planning in collaboration with ARPA Valle d’Aosta. This expert group reviewed and validated the framework, creating a clear shared resource for regional decision making.

In March 2026, a participatory workshop gathered undergraduate students at the University of Valle d’Aosta. The session untangled different views on local environmental priorities and showed how climate change forces choices between different natural benefits, operating like a compass for young leaders thinking about future land use.

In April 2026, a public workshop engaged voluntary participants, including local residents and representatives from farming and local government, working alongside ARPA Valle d’Aosta and Institut Agricole Régional. This gathering sparked open discussions on climate adaptation, helping local voices shape mountain development strategies like streams feeding a main river.

The project also gained wider public visibility through a media interview with RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana, Italy’s national public broadcaster. The interview aired on TGR and focused on ecosystem services and climate change in the Aosta Valley.

This YESI Fellows collaboration has also generated two co-authored journal papers, translating field insights into lasting academic contributions.

Principal and Co-Investigators

Principal Investigator

Nicola Favretto, Department of Environment and Geography

Co-Investigator

Carolyn Snell, School for Business and Society

Project Partner

Agile Arvier Project