Abstract
Mountain ecosystems are considered to be vulnerable to climate change, with potential detrimental effects including the reduction of the snow seasons, the gradual retreat of glaciers, and changes in water storage and availability. One vulnerable sector to climate change is winter tourism, with some resorts likely to experience a significant reduction in the length of the skiing seasons and snow recreation areas throughout this century. This study assessed the vulnerability of 31 Spanish alpine ski resorts to climate change and evaluated the potential socio-economic and environmental implications of several adaptation measures. Results show that lower-altitude areas such as the Cantabrian Mountains and the Iberian System could be more vulnerable to climate change than higher-altitude areas of the Catalan Pyrenees or the Penibaetic System. Adaptation initiatives may include, inter alia, the production of artificial snow, the protection and conservation of the snow coverage area, and the diversification of recreation activities offered during the whole year. The study concludes that the design and implementation of adaptation strategies have to be adequate to the level of vulnerability associated with each resort as well as minimize their potential socio-economic and environmental costs.
Highlights
Mountain ecosystems are threatened by climate change [1,2,3]
This analysis considers the magnitude levels of low, medium, and high cost and it is based on the information presented in the previous section, which was based on a literature analysis and interviews with representatives of some Spanish ski resorts and climate change experts
The results show that potentially costlier measures include artificial snow production, diversification of snow-based activities, expansion of skiable area, transformation of ski resorts into multi-recreational mountain resorts, and the redefinition of the local economic model
Summary
The projected gradual increase in atmospheric temperatures together with changes in the precipitation patterns may contribute to a decline in snow reserves [4]. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scenarios RCP (representative concentration pathways) 2.6 and RCP 8.5, spring snow coverage could suffer an average reduction of 7% to 25% in the Northern Hemisphere in 2100, respectively [5]. The gradual disappearance of glaciers, perennial snow, and the length reduction of the snow season will affect the runoff from snow, reducing river flows and water storage and availability in the related basins [1,6,7]. Additional consequences of climate change may include, e.g., the potential loss of open habitats for grassland bird species [9], and the increase in runoff erosion led by the higher frequency of forest fires [10]
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