La montagna resiliente

Abstract

Several changes taking place in the contemporary society are encouraging a comeback to the mountains seen as a liveable area in which to find more favourable living conditions than in urban areas. This desirable process must be supported by policies and actions pointed at solving prior problems and deficiencies: accessibility, safety, comfort hampered by hard morphology, environmental risks, climatic rigidity. It is also fundamental to cope with new needs and lifestyles within a framework of sustainability and new competitiveness. The image to refer to is that of resilient mountain, that summarizes the virtuous qualities to be confirmed and the gaps to be addressed, metabolizing new demands of adaptation and change. The priority fields of action on which to convey political commitments and resources in Eu policies and strategies - today particularly attentive to inland areas - are: active safety of territories, intended as a responsible prevention, able to mediate between territories and economic activities; living in the mountains, meant as a guarantee of living conditions, access to essential services, comfort of settlements and connections; fostering mountain economies by focusing on a competitiveness based on the quality of products and their connection to production contexts; mountains as healers, through workout, education to nutrition and sports, activities and services whose benefits are amplified in mountain environments.