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Econnect

Improving Ecological Connectivity in the Alps

• AS priority area: Environment and Risk Prevention
• Duration: 01/09/2008 - 30/11/2011
• Project webpage
• Project on the website of the Alpine Space Programme

• Lead Partner: University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology (AT) Contact person: Christian Walzer, Tel.: +43 (0) 6641054967, chris.walzer[at]fiwi.at
• Committee of the National Park Hohe Tauern (AT) Contact person: Ferdinand Lainer, Tel.: +43 (0)6562 40849 26, ferdinand.lainer[at]salzburg.gv.at
• Federal Environment Agency Ltd., Landuse & Biosafety (AT) Contact person: Bernhard Schwarzl, Tel.: +43 (0)664 6210331, bernhard.schwarzl[at]umweltbundesamt.at
• National Park Gesaeuse Ltd. (AT) Contact person: Lisbeth Zechner, Tel.: +43 (0)664 8252314, lisbeth.zechner[at]nationalpark.co.at
• University of Innsbruck, Institute of Ecology (AT) Contact person: Leopold Füreder, Tel.: +43 (0)512 507 6125, leopold.fuereder[at]uibk.ac.at
• Swiss National Park (CH) Contact person: Ruedi Haller, Tel.: +41 (0)81 851 4111, rhaller[at]nationalpark.ch
• Berchtesgaden Nationalpark Administration (DE) Contact person: Michaela Künzl, Tel.: +49 (0)8652 9686135, michaela.kuenzl[at]npv-bgd.bayern.de
• Cemagref Grenoble Regional Centre unit research mountain ecosystems (FR) Contact person: Jean Jacques, Tel.: +33 (0)4 76 76 27 79, jean Jacques.brun[at]cemagref.fr
• Council of Department of Isere (FR) Contact person: Jean-Guy Bayon, Tel.: +33 (0)4 76 00 39 88, jg.bayon[at]cg38.fr
• Task Force Protected Areas - Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention (FR) Contact person: Guido Plassmann, Tel.: +33 (0)4 79 26 55 00, guido.plassmann[at]alparc.org
• CIPRA - International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (FL) Contact person: Aurelia Ullrich, Tel.: +423 237 53 08, aurelia.ullrich[at]cipra.org
• Alpi Marittime Nature Parc (IT) Contact person: Patrizia Rossi, Tel.: +39 017 197397, patrizia.rossi[at]parcoalpimarittime.it
• Autonomus Region of Valle d'Aosta - Department of agriculture and natural ressources (IT) Contact person: Sedda Cristiano, Tel.: + 39 0165 527335, c.sedda[at]regione.vda.it,
• European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (IT) Contact person: Thomas Streifeneder, Tel.: +39 0471 055 315, thomas.streifeneder[at]eurac.edu
• Italian Ministry for the Environment (IT) Contact person: Paolo Angelini, Tel.: +39 06 57228154, angelini.paolo[at]minambiente.it
• WWF Italy (IT) Contact person: Mauro Belardi, Tel.: +39 0348 874 98 89, m.belardi[at]wwf.it

“ECONNECT aims at the enhancement of ecological connectivity in the Alpine Space. Protection of biodiversity and natural heritage – a central necessity to cope with the challenges of climate change – requires an integrated approach which beyond protected areas considers high biodiversity areas and corridors as linking elements of an Alpine ecological network. International umbrella organisations linked to the Alpine Convention, scientific institutions and local implementation partners have joined forces to demonstrate needs and options for action and develop innovative instruments for ecological connectivity. Pilot applications involving different stakeholders result in long-term implementation. To overcome legal and administrative constraints policy recommendations are presented ensuring effective cross-border cooperation and procedural harmonisation. Knowledge transfer and dissemination are guaranteed by the widely ramified structure of partners and the strategic use of networks.” Source: Econnect project summary

• Coordination of sector policies to prevent exploitation of natural resources and single-sector economies
• Sensitive Alpine territory requires appropriate and diversified measures (consensus-oriented multi-stakeholder approach)

• natural heritage
• biodiversity
• legislation
• knowledge transfer

• Reducing environmental damage
• Enhancing and protecting natural resources and heritage
• Developing access to information and knowledge

Results of a project can be differentiated in outputs, outcomes and impacts of an intervention.OECD Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management. Project outputs can generally be identified very easily. Yet, they represent only a first step towards the ultimate objective of project interventions: Initiating project-related outcomes and having true impacts on the ground.

Outputs are an immediate deliverable of a project, which result from a development intervention. They should be finalised and publicly available by the time the project terminates. Outputs comprise tangible project results such as tools, databases, executive summaries, educational material etc.

Outcomes are the likely or achieved short-term and medium-term effects of an intervention's outputs, e.g. the outcome of improved, knowledged-based decision-making processes as an effect of a knowledge database (= output) established by a project. Outcomes will in most cases not materialise before project closure.
Impacts are positive and negative, primary and secondary long-term effects produced by a development intervention, directly or indirectly, intended or unintended.OECD Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management
As outcomes and impacts are difficult to differentiate, this section contains both of these types of project results.
The identification of outcomes and impacts requires a deeper insight into the respective project e.g. through project participants or direct interviews with project representatives. Outcomes and impacts are usually not solely influenced by projects, but are a complex combination of project results on the one hand and framework conditions on the other. Unlike project outputs, outcomes and results cannot be described in a standardised way. Therefore, they are listed as free text:
<not yet available>

• Econnect outputs on the official website of the project
• Econnect outputs on the website of the Alpine Space Programme