Water, Tourism and the Mountain

26/11/2018

Owing to their natural features (increasing rainfall with altitude, barrier effect), mountains are often rich in water and consequently serve as water towers for the surrounding areas (Viviroli et Weingartner, 2004). They may also represent pockets of drought (shelter situations) with scarce water resources. Moreover, they sometimes have major tourism activities that they have developed over more than two centuries. These activities often cause a spatial and temporal concentration of visitors at tourist resorts, which has led, on the one hand, to large fluctuations in water demand and, on the other hand, to uses that are specific to tourism activities Reynard, 2001). Finally, mountain regions are particularly sensitive to the effects of global climate change (Elsasser et Bürki, 2002 ; Beniston, 2003 ; Gobiet et al., 2014). Following up on the symposium entitled "Eau et tourisme" ("Water and Tourism"), held in Sion/Sierre (Valais) on 9 and 10 November 2017 and organised by the Univers...

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