Martin Francis Price

University of the Highlands and Islands | UHI · Centre for Mountain Studies (CMS) Perth College

Generating actionable knowledge to meet current sustainability challenges requires unprecedented collaboration across scales, geographies, cultures and knowledges. Intergovernmental programmes and place‐based knowledge–action networks have much potential to mobilize sustainability transformation. Although many research fields have benefited from re...

Mountain areas provide essential resources for a significant proportion of the Earth’s population. This study presents the development of mountain research between 1900 and 2019 based on peer-reviewed articles in English listed in Web of ScienceTM (WOS). We analyzed the number of publications over time, journals and scientific categories, frequent...

This paper presents a synthesis of the outcomes of sessions and recommendations for future research in mountain areas from the International Mountain Conference (IMC), held in Innsbruck, Austria, in September 2019. The thematic sections of the paper consider: first, the paleosciences, particularly archaeology; second, (bio)physical systems—the clim...

Mountain social-ecological systems (MtSES) are vital to humanity, providing ecosystem services to over half the planet's human population. Despite their importance, there has been no global assessment of threats to MtSES, even as they face unprecedented challenges to their sustainability. With survey data from 57 MtSES sites worldwide, we test a co...

Biosphere reserves (BR) balance biodiversity protection and sustainable use through different management restrictions in three zones: core areas, buffer zones, and transition areas. Information about the links between zoning and ecosystem services (ES) is lacking, particularly in terms of the relative roles of natural contributions (ecosystem prope...

Peak water describes the hydrological response of glacier-fed rivers to climate change, indicating that warming first drives increasing discharge until a glacier mass loss threshold is surpassed and discharge falls below values observed prior to contemporary climate warming. Although the physical principles of peak water are well understood and acc...

Since 2004, the University of the Highlands and Islands, in Scotland, has delivered an online MSc in sustainable mountain development (SMD). Students have the choice of exiting from the course with an MSc, a postgraduate diploma, or a postgraduate certificate. This paper first describes the history and delivery of the course, complemented with stat...

This article provides insights from a survey of education programs for sustainable mountain development (ESMD) and comments on the findings from the perspective of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's.(UNESCO) Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for 2030 framework. Twenty-eight programs implemented by universit...

Adaptation needs in high mountain communities are increasingly well documented, yet most efforts to address these needs continue to befall mountain people who have contributed little to the problem of climate change. This situation represents a contravention of accepted norms of climate justice and calls attention to the need for better understandi...

Economic, social, cultural, and geographic barriers exist in rural Nepal that prevent many girls from successfully reaching higher levels of education. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying the enabling environments and support systems that have allowed girls from the rural and mountainous Solukhumbu District of Nepal to successfu...

‘UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Supporting Biocultural Diversity, Sustainability and Society’, edited by Maureen Reed and Martin Price. The book has 25 chapters, divided into three sections. It starts by outlining the origins and history of UNESCO’s MAB Programme and its biosphere reserves (BRs), showing how they contribute to advancing sustainable dev...

Review of: The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment. Edited by Philippus Wester, Arabinda Mishra, Aditi Mukherji, and Arun Bhata Shrestha. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2019. xxii + 627 pp. Hardcover: US$ 59.99, ISBN 978-3-319-92287-4. E-book: open access at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1, ISBN 978-3-319-92288-1.

‘Mountains 2018’ is taking place from 11 to 15 December 2018 in the mountain town of Nova Friburgo, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, close to Pico Maior (2,366 m), the highest point of the 1,500 kilometre-long Serra do Mar. As you will see from the abstracts in this book, the participants in ‘Mountains 2018’ will include scholars, professionals, pol...

The Centre for Mountain Studies (CMS) is located at Perth College, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, and it hosts the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Sustainable Mountain Development. CMS staff and students have been active in research and knowledge-exchange activities at scales fr...

1 Міністерство освіти і науки України Міністерство екології і природних ресурсів України Львівський національний університет імені Івана Франка Географічний факультет, кафедра раціонального використання природних ресурсів і охорони природи Департамент екології та природних ресурсів Львівської обласної державної адміністрації ПРИРОДНІ РЕСУРСИ РЕГІОН...

The article Mapping mountain areas: learning from Global, European and Norwegian perspectives, written by Martin F. PRICE, Tor ARNESEN, Erik GLØERSEN and Marc J. METZGER, was originally erroneously published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on May 21st 2018 without open access. When the mistake was discover...

Defining the spatial extent of mountain areas has long been a challenge. In the present century, the availability of digital elevation models (DEMs) incorporated into geographic information systems (GIS) has allowed the definition of mountain areas based on topographic and other criteria. This paper presents the various delineations of mountains th...

Understanding agreement and differences between land use visions forms a first step for assessing and comparing alternative pathways towards a sustainable future. This study presents an analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews with representatives of the principal land use sectors in Scotland. The aim was to understand what, in their ideal vision,...

Mountains provide vital resources to a significant proportion of the global population, particularly as the ‘water towers’ of the world, and as a result of their high biological diversity at genetic, species and ecosystem levels. As well as benefiting people and industries in lowland areas, these ecosystem services (ES) form the basis of most mount...

The research was conducted to assess the quality of groundwater resources of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Oman. 11 drinking water sources were sampled during summer and winter seasons during 2012–2013 to evaluate their physico-chemical quality indicators; and assess their suitability for drinking and other domestic purposes. Sample collection, handling and...

Social innovation (SI) has rapidly expanded in the debates and agenda of the research and policy communities over the last decade (Adams and Hess, 2010; Baker and Mehmood, 2015; Neumeier 2016, Haxeltine et al., 2017). There are considerable expectations of the potential of SI for addressing urgent societal challenges. Considering the diversity and...

Reviewed: Managing MIDAs: Harmonising the Management of Multi-Internationally Designated Areas—Ramsar Sites, World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks. By Thomas Schaaf and Diana Clamote Rodrigues. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN, 2016. xvi + 140 pp. Free download at: https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/46176. ISBN 978-2-8317-1...

Biosphere reserves, designated under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, are now regarded as key mechanisms to achieve global imperatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals. The concept of biosphere reserves has evolved significantly from the 1970s to include a larger number of functions and zones, as well as the inclusion of sta...

Objectives This systematic review identifies and reviews both peer-reviewed and 'grey' literature, across a range of disciplines and from diverse sources, relating to the condition of children living in mountain communities in low- and middle-income countries. Findings The literature on poverty in these communities does not generally focus on the p...

The Perth conferences, held every 5 years in Perth, Scotland, bring together people who identify as mountain researchers and who are interested in issues related to global change in mountain social-ecological systems. These conferences provide an opportunity to evaluate the evolution of research directions within the mountain research community, as...

The Centre for Mountain Studies (CMS), located at Perth College, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, hosts the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Chair in Sustainable Mountain Development. Since 2000, CMS staff and students have been active in research and knowledge exchange activities at scales from the...

From 5 to 8 October 2015, 400 people from 52 countries on 6 continents attended the international conference “Mountains of Our Future Earth” in Perth, Scotland. The event was organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in sustainable development at the Centre for Mountain Studies (CMS) at Perth C...

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes that occurred during 1992–2011 in Sagarmatha National Park, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal, were evaluated using multitemporal satellite imagery in combination with land use data and sociological information gathered fro...

Mountain areas cover a significant proportion of the European continent. Within the European Union (EU), many of the newest Member States have particularly high proportions of mountainous land. Ongoing debates in the EU relate to perceptions of mountains as being ?handicapped? or marginalized versus having specific development opportunities, and to...

Reviewed: Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions: Southeastern Europe Edited by Georgi Zhelezov. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2016. xiv + 404 pp. Hardcover: US$ 129.00, ISBN 978-3-319-20109-2. E-book: US$ 99.00, ISBN 978-3-319- 20110-8. Reviewed: Sustainable Mountain Regions: Challenges and Perspectives in Southeastern Europe Edited by Boian K...

The concept of “commons” is complex; it may relate to property regimes, rules of use and access, recognition of collective importance, or a mixture of these. This paper explores the arguments—developed by a growing epistemic community—to promote mountains as global common goods within the third category. This process may be viewed as starting with...

The research was conducted to assess the aflaj water quality in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Oman. 9 aflaj were sampled during summer and winter seasons in 2012-2013 to evaluate for the physico-chemical characteristics of major quality parameters; and assess the suitability of aflaj for irrigation purposes. Samples collection, handling and processing follow...

Reviewed: Mountains: Geology, Topography and Environmental Concerns. Edited by António José, Bento Gonçalves, and António Avelino Batista Vieria. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers, 2014. ix + 371 pp. US$ 175.00. ISBN 978-1-63117-288-5.

This strategic research agenda is the product of an enthusiastic year-long collaboration between researchers based in centres of excellence, across many different disciplines and European countries. Our primary goal is to highlight the importance of mountains in providing insights and solutions to many of Europe’s pressing challenges. To this end,...

Their specific potentials and opportunities of mountain areas need to be considered as much as their challenges. Mountain areas are too diverse to elaborate an integrated European strategy. However, a framework for development strategies in mountain areas can be developed, taking into account the specific challenges and importance of mountain farmi...

Mountains cover one-quarter of the Earth’s land surface and are home to about 12% of the global population. They are the sources of the world’s major rivers, affect regional weather patterns, provide centres of biological and cultural diversity, hold deposits of minerals, and are major centres of tourism. Mountains: A Very Short Introduction outlin...

‘Centres of diversity’ considers the Earth’s biodiversity hotspots and the benefits derived from this biodiversity. Conservation International has identified thirty-four ‘biodiversity hotspots’, twenty-five of which are wholly or partly in mountainous areas, particularly in the tropics. Tropical mountain forests are the most biodiverse ecosystems o...

Al Jabal Al Akhdar, an arid mountain region in northern Oman, has experienced rapid development over the last decades, resulting in the deterioration of water resources. This paper applies the driving force–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) framework as an integrated environmental assessment tool to illustrate the cause-and-effect relationship...

Reviewed: Reservas de la Biosfera de Chile—Laboratorios para la Sustentabilidad [Biosphere Reserves in Chile—Laboratories for Sustainability] Edited by Andrés Moreira-MuñozAxel Borsdorf. Innsbruck, Austria and Santiago de Chile, Chile: Austrian Academy of Science and Pontificia Universidad de Chile, 2014. xvii + 321 pp. Print copies can be ordered...

Reviewed: The Carpathians: Integrating Nature and Society Towards Sustainability. Edited by Jacek Kozak, Katarzyna Ostapowicz, Andrzej Bytnerowicz, and Bartłomiej Wyżga. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer, 2013. vi + 717 pp. US $ 129.00, € 103.99. Also available as an e-book. ISBN 978-3-642-12724-3.

The aflaj system is a unique water resource for Omani society, culture and heritage and it is the most important for agriculture communities in Al Jabal Al Akhdar. In this paper, the Driving forces-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses (DPSIR) framework was applied as an assessment approach aiming to propose policies for sustainable aflaj water managemen...

Recent research has demonstrated significant demand for foods from Europe’s mountain areas; the production of these foods delivers significant positive externalities, despite producers facing greater constraints than their lowland equivalents. Existing markets often fail to account for these factors due to a lack of clear definition of mountain pro...

Recent research has demonstrated significant demand for foods from Europe’s mountain areas; the production of these foods delivers significant positive externalities, despite producers facing greater constraints than their lowland equivalents. Existing markets often fail to account for these factors due to a lack of clear definition of mountain pro...

This policy brief is an outcome of discussions based on an overview paper presented at UNESCO regional workshops in Africa, Asia, Latin America (2013) and a workshop held in Paris (2014) in the context of “Climate Change Impacts in Major Mountainous Regions of the World: Multidisciplinary Network for Adaptation Strategies (Africa, Asia, Latin Ameri...

Climate change and its consequences present one of the most important threats to water resources systems which are vulnerable to such changes due to their limited adaptive capacity. Water resources in arid mountain regions, such as Al Jabal Al Akhdar; northern Sultanate of Oman, are vulnerable to the potential adverse impacts of environmental and c...

One of the most significant demographic trends in the Alps is the out-migration of young people. Nevertheless, in certain areas, young people are deciding to return to their valley of origin after completing their higher education. Through research in a valley of the Eastern Italian Alps, this paper addresses this complex phenomenon, by analysing t...

L’emigration des jeunes est l’une des evolutions demographiques les plus importantes des Alpes. Neanmoins, dans certaines regions, des jeunes decident de retourner vivre dans leur vallee d’origine apres leurs etudes superieures. A travers une recherche dans une vallee des Alpes italiennes orientales, cet article fait reference a ce phenomene comple...

The institutionalization of mountain regions in Europe, Regional Studies. Since the 1990s, many ‘project regions’ have emerged in Europe, a trend deriving from the tendency to adopt ad hoc institutions for specific spatial and environmental issues and the empowerment of diverse stakeholders who compete with the dominant role of states. This article...

A wide-ranging study of how different landownership models deliver sustainability in Scotland’s upland areas Scotland is at the heart of modern, sustainable upland management. Large estates cover vast areas of the uplands, with a long, complex and emotive history of ownership and use. In recent decades, the Scottish uplands have increasingly been...

Efforts have been made to provide a scientific basis for using environmental services as a conceptual tool to improve conservation and livelihoods in mountain protected areas (MtPAS). Little attention has been paid to locals' concerns, which can illuminate the complex interplay between mountain ecosystems, environmental services and human well-bein...

The Centre for Mountain Studies (CMS) is located at Perth College, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland. Since its establishment in 2000, staff and students at the CMS have been active in research and knowledge exchange activities at all scales, from the local, in Scotland, to the global. Projects in Scotland have focused mainly on est...

Repeat photography reveals changes in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park and Buffer Zone – a microcosm of the Himalayas. The principal author re-took historical photographs from the same viewpoints, illustrating cultural landscape change and persistence over 50 years. The photographs were then used as a basis for interviews with local people. T...

Efforts have been made to provide a scientific basis for using environmental services as a conceptual tool to enhance conservation and improve livelihoods in protected mountain areas (MtPAS). Little attention has been paid to participatory research or locals’ concerns as environmental service (ES) users and providers. Such perspectives can illumina...

The conference on Global Change and the World's Mountains held in Perth, Scotland, in 2010 offered a unique opportunity to analyze the state and progress of mountain research and its contribution to sustainable mountain development, as well as to reflect on required reorientations of research agendas. In this paper we provide the results of a three...

Rewilding is a strategy for the conservation of complete, self-sustaining ecosystems, primarily involving the protection and, where necessary, reintroduction, of populations of keystone species in large, connected reserve networks. A potential method of preserving ecosystem functions and biodiversity, it is now receiving a great deal of practical a...