BIOSS - Biosphere reserves as models for Science-Society interaction to spur sustainability transformations in mountainous areas

Mountain regions, such as the 435 mountain biosphere reserves, are particularly vulnerable to the accelerated consequences of global change. They struggle with the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, digitalisation and depopulation. For five decades, “people across the globe have utilized biosphere reserves, designated under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, to explore local solutions to global challenges. The World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves enhances the capacity of 435 mountain BR to act as laboratories for sustainability, research and learning. The high decision stakes, but also the conflicting and pressing nature of many sustainability problems, ask for new forms of knowledge production, dissemination and uptake, and, hence, new models of science-society interaction. At the same time universities and researchers in particular are challenged/ retained to participate in such td-research collaborations due to ongoing competition for funding, students and prestige; prevailing compartmentalisation, performance measurements via rankings, all of which have negative effects on inter- and transdisciplinarity. In this project we will investigate to which degree mountain biosphere reserves have established themselves as models for transdisciplinary science-society interaction to spur transformations towards sustainability in mountain BR. • Which types of science-society interaction (e.g. strategic and functional partnerships, research activities, institutionalised forms of collaboration) have BR experimented with, tested and established on a global level and in BR? • Which ‘knowledge-in-use’ and actual impact have td research projects created and to which degree did they spur sustainability transitions in the Mountain-BR • What are general models of successful science-society interactions in mountain BR for what circumstances? How can future science-society interactions of different types in biosphere reserves in the Alpine DACH region be supported?