National parks and Unesco classification
The unique character of the Dolomites, combined with its fragility and the need to regulate human activities, led to its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. The sites that fall under this classification are also home to nature parks, which protect remarkable ecosystems and endemic species. Generally speaking, the national parks in the Alpine massifs have hiking trails and visitor centres.
Grand Paradis National Park : twinned with the Vanoise National Park with which it shares a common border, the oldest Italian national park is shared between Piedmont and the Aosta Valley. It is home to numerous glaciers and a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Dolomites Bellunisi National Park : located in Veneto, it contains sumptuous landscapes and remarkable biodiversity, and is crossed by numerous land routes.
Stelvio National Park: shared between Trentino, Lombardy and South Tyrol, it is home to high mountains, lakes and forests that offer sublime landscapes throughout the seasons.
Dolomites d'Ampezzo Regional Nature Park: located in Veneto, it protects a wide variety of environments, mountains, lakes, forests and steep valleys.
Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park: located in South Tyrol, it is home to extremely picturesque landscapes, high mountains and lakes, mountain pastures and high plateaus. In addition to its geology, its biodiversity is exceptional.
Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park: in South Tyrol, it is home to the emblematic Dolomite mountains and their rich ecosystems.
Facing climate change
The mountains are warming twice as fast as the rest of the world (depending on the area, warming in the Alps varies between +1.5 and +2°C compared to the pre-industrial period). Glaciers and permafrost are melting, leading to more collapses. In the summer of 2020, a block of the Planpicieux glacier, "the size of the Milan cathedral", threatens to collapse in the Val Ferret. Extreme events are becoming more frequent and intense (floods, landslides, avalanches), while the "water towers" represented by the glaciers are diminishing. In the long term, natural balances and biodiversity are undermined, as well as all human activities. The Marmolada, the highest glacier in the Dolomites, which has been scientifically monitored since 1902, is a perfect example of the process at work. With a loss of volume of over 80%, the glacier could disappear by 2030 if nothing is done to contain global warming. Faced with this fact, the Alpine communities are beginning to organize themselves to mitigate and adapt to climate change. In 2020, a 100,000m2
white tarpaulin was deployed on the Presena glacier to protect the ice and promote the albedo effect (reflection of light). This same glacier has been confronted with a phenomenon of dewiness, linked to the presence of algae, which contributes to reducing the albedo. Faced with these phenomena, the visitor can favour soft mobility: the region is accessible by train and numerous walking and cycling routes allow the visitor to appreciate the splendour of the landscapes, whatever their level. A cycle route makes it possible to reach Venice from Bolzano.
