Focus On: The Resilient Communities Of The Dolomites

VALMOREL, ITALY - NOVEMBER 29: Carlo Murer and Gabriele Sgarbi, members and founders of the ‘Pascolando’ Cooperative, welcome, with the help of other shepherds and villagers who have come especially for the event, and put into the cowshed the three new cows that have been donated by the community to encourage and foster the Cooperative model they have founded, demonstrating that the community and communities are fundamental resources that must be recovered on November 29, 2024 in Valmorel, Italy. Pascolando, a cooperative founded a year ago by young and locals, has rejuvenated Valmorel community by purchasing a mountain farm where they raise cows with sustainable methods, inspired by the local "latteria turnaria" — a collective system where farmers share responsibilities, milk production, processing, and profits — they foster community-driven dairy production. Combining innovation and tradition, the cooperative aims to inspire youth to reconnect with alpine life and its values. Dolomite communities are increasingly threatened by mass tourism and climate change, which put immense pressure on the region, with data indicating that the Dolomites have experienced an increase in average temperatures of 1.5°C since 1970 and a significant reduction in snow cover, the retreat of glaciers in particular of the Marmolada glacier has reached alarming levels, while tourist hotspots are often crowded with visitors who even last summer were seeking refreshment, and communities are finding and experimenting with adapting to change and investing in sustainable practices for tourism as well. (Photo by Simone Padovani/Getty Images)