Quality of life
The Alps are characterised by very different living conditions, and their inhabitants have different expectations of what constitutes quality of life – depending on whether the focus is on urban centres, peri-urban areas or rural areas, which can be very remote. Living conditions go beyond economic outputs and living standards. This is why the concept of quality of life – which also includes people’s individual perceptions and the cultural and value systems of a society – are at the forefront of public policies and thinking about sustainable development. It is also one of the three priorities of the Multi-Annual Work Programme of the Alpine Convention 2023-2030.
The notion of quality of life nonetheless underpins public policies, which put public interests at the forefront. The Alps can offer a high quality of life to their inhabitants but to benefit from this, we have to understand what makes each area unique and what quality of life means to inhabitants. The 10th Report on the State of the Alps offers valuable insights into the status quo and future challenges and includes recommendations to ensure high quality of Alpine inhabitants also in the future.