The Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) is a university-based institution that conducts resource- and people-centered research activities for development and policy advice in Switzerland and abroad, guided by a sustainable development approach. Many of the Centre's programs and mandates include a mountain or highland–lowland component; they are presented below. CDE is part of the Institute of Geography at the University of Bern, Switzerland and is the lead institution for the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South.