Institute of Geography and Sustainability of the University of Lausanne
Research projects
Western house martin : a flagship species for developing the integration of biological, social and participatory approaches in biodiversity policies in the Canton of Vaud
| Permanent link | https://igd.unil.ch/projet/en/448 |
| Research fields |
Urban matters Knowledge & techniques |
| Keywords |
Western house martin Built environment Cohabitation Canton Vaud |
| Funding | Interface (Unil), Direction Générale de l'Environnement du Canton de Vaud (DGE), Initiative Homme - Faune Sauvage (Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco) and Ville de Lausanne |
| Duration | November 2025 - Mai 2026 |
| Website | https://www.unil.ch/unil/fr/home/menuinst/recherche/interface/calls-et-projets/projets-selectionnes.html |
| Researchers |
Salomon Cavin Joëlle (IGD UNIL) [web] [email] Fontcuberta Amaranta (IGD UNIL) [web] [email] Naceur Najla (Direction générale de l'environnement (DGE)) Aubert Pascale (Service des parcs et domaines, Ville de Lausanne) Séchaud Robin (Station Ornithologique Suisse, Vogelwarte) |
The current biodiversity crisis, in which a third of Switzerland's species are threatened, calls for innovative approaches that promote multi-species cohabitation in densely populated areas.
The aim of this project is to study the conditions for successful cohabitation with the Western house martin, a declining species that depends on buildings for nesting. Based on an ethnographic survey of real estate professionals, it identifies the obstacles and motivations to successful cohabitation. By combining these results with the expertise of stakeholders from different territories of the canton, the project aims to support the cantonal strategy, strengthen local action plans and promote the integration of social science and participatory research approaches into environmental policies in the canton of Vaud.
 Window swallow (Delichon urbica), morning grooming, before flight. |