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IPROMO 2018: Bioeconomy in mountain areas

18.06.2018

The bioeconomy of the world’s mountains will be under discussion at the 2018 International Programme on Research and Training on Sustainable Management of Mountain Areas (IPROMO) in Ormea and Pieve Tesino, Italy, from 18 June to 2 July. Some 37 technical officers and researchers from more than 20 countries will take part in the intensive training course, which will include lectures, teamwork and excursions conducted by instructors from FAO, universities, and international organizations working in sustainable mountain development.

With almost 1 billion people living in mountain areas, specific pro-mountain solutions can contribute significantly to progress towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This year’s IPROMO theme focuses on the management of mountain areas in the framework of bioeconomy, with topics ranging from environmental conservation and water supply to income generation and food security.

“There are still only a few universities in the world that offer courses devoted to the study, understanding and promotion of the development of mountainous areas, which are often a forgotten ecosystem despite their key role for the health of our planet,” said Rosalaura Romeo, programme officer of FAO's Mountain Partnership Secretariat. “The purpose of IPROMO is to develop the capacity of those who attend the course to integrate mountain issues into their work and to share what they have learned with others.”

The course contributes to strengthening the capacity of countries and institutions that belong to the Mountain Partnership, a United Nations voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to improving the lives of mountain peoples and protecting mountain environments around the world. “IPROMO allows technicians, experts, and decision-makers from areas that are potentially more sensitive to global change impacts to contribute to the sustainable management of mountain areas,” said Romeo.

The eleventh IPROMO course is jointly organized and funded by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat/FAO, the University of Turin (Italy) and the University of Tuscia (Italy) plus the city of Ormea.

Course activities in Ormea are organized by the University of Turin (DISAFA-NatRisk), in collaboration with the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (IRPI), a division of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and the Institut Agricole Régional. In Pieve Tesino, the course will be supported by the Centre of Alpine Studies of the University of Tuscia, the city of Pieve Tesino, the community of Valsugana and Tesino and the Autonomous Province of Trento.

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