Authors: Antonia Egli (Dublin City University, MARGISTAR) and Mikko Jokinen (LUKE, MARGISTAR)
In spring 2024, the MARGISTAR COST Action conducted an internal survey on living conditions in European mountain regions. This included 71 assessments by MARGISTAR experts on current and future conditions in marginalised mountain regions, focusing on what the COST Action has defined as “periphery traps.”
What are periphery traps?
Periphery traps are interrelated socio-cultural, economic, political, and environmental developments and conditions in remote regions that lead to unequal and unfair living conditions. Periphery traps negatively affect the opportunities of the people living in marginalised areas and are generally interpreted as problematic conditions that reinforce existing negative development pathways.
What did the MARGISTAR survey find?
MARGISTAR’s survey on periphery traps identified out-migration, demographic trends (such as ageing populations and low birth rates), and lack of social support (e.g., in healthcare) as the main periphery traps for marginalised European mountain regions. Nature conservation and land ownership were found to be the biggest potential sources of conflict in these locations.
MARGISTAR recognises that both social developments and extraordinary natural events affect the living conditions of marginalised populations in European mountain regions. Affected populations are unable to influence this. To counteract existing periphery traps and support justice, inclusion, and resilience in these areas, surveyed MARGISTAR experts see potential in the following areas:
- Local rural tourism,
- Production chains based on local resources,
- Cultural and digital innovation and infrastructure development,
- Improved housing solutions, also as a means of attracting professionals from different sectors (e.g., creative artists and professionals from the arts and culture sectors, researchers) on a temporary or permanent basis,
- Measures to increase social cohesion within communities,
- Coherent policy decisions that prioritise social, economic, and environmental goals.
In general, MARGISTAR seeks to break periphery traps by establishing agency amongst the actors involved in mountainous areas and inviting policy-makers to take bottom-up remedies to periphery traps seriously. This takes the form of what the COST Action defines as “transformation pathways”, which ideally result in post-marginalised mountainous areas.
MARGISTAR has written about some of these transformation pathways in the past, for example highlighting how Andorra focused on technology and innovation to move towards a post-marginalised future, or opportunities for rural development in Albania.
Next steps in enabling transformation pathways
Earlier this spring, MARGISTAR presented its survey results at the MOVING Scientific Conference. Although drastic developments are often difficult to predict, national and transnational policies can make a positive difference to the lives of people in marginalised mountain regions. As a result, MARGISTAR will rely on concepts such as “pinching the policy-maker” and “nudging the citizen” to exert political pressure and drive urgent action on behalf of citizens and stakeholders. Pinching helps to clarify the definition of policy goals and drive fundamental initiatives for future action. With the help of MARGISTAR, policy interventions can be implemented based on local realities and scientific evidence.
MARGISTAR is a forum for exchange and co-creation where scientists, stakeholders and policy makers across Europe reflect together on possible sustainable and resilient solutions for marginalized mountain regions. The COST Action consists of 167 scientists and experts from 31 countries. Further information on MARGISTAR can be found on the project website (https://margistar.eu/) or in the newsletter.