Using the DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method, which is used to analyze the interdependencies between factors, we analyzed 17 case studies from different mountain regions of Europe in order to identify the critical factors that most influence development and to understand their interrelations. Based
on the descriptions in the studies carried out within the Margistar action, 10 groups of factors were defined. With the DEMATEL method, we distinguished between factors that trigger changes (causal) and those that appear as consequences of other factors (effect). The analysis was conducted separately for each region as well as collectively. We found that the causes of development challenges include historical and political legacies, environmental and climatic influences, cultural and social integration, and insufficient infrastructure and services, while the consequences of these factors manifest as economic challenges, technological lag, conflicts over land use, and
difficulties in managing natural resources. The analysis shows that economic and governance challenges carry the greatest overall weight in the system, but they occur mainly as consequences of broader institutional, social and environmental influences. Environmental and climatic factors emerged as triggers of change, although with somewhat lower overall importance than expected. Based on the analysis, we
conclude that for the sustainable development of mountain regions, it is necessary to recognize both causal and effect factors of marginalization.
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