News

Animation spot shows why mountains matter

27.11.2013

This year’s spot for International Mountain Day shows why mountains matter by providing crucial facts and figures. Mountains cover over a quarter of the earth’s land area, are home to almost a billion people and a quarter of the world’s land animals and plants. They also provide about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water. Yet, mountains have a high incidence of poverty and are extremely vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, land degradation and natural disasters.

The theme for the 2013 celebration  - Mountains: Key to a sustainable future -  aims to raise awareness on how to identify new and sustainable opportunities that can bring benefits both to highland and lowland communities and help eradicate poverty without contributing to the degradation of these fragile ecosystems.

The one-minute video, produced by the Mountain Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Italian Development Cooperation and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation with support from the World Bank, is available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish.