News

Award to protect the mountains mountaineers love

15.07.2014

The mountains of the world draw millions of climbers and trekkers each year and every one of them leaves a footprint – some more permanent than others.

With that in mind, the UIAA – International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, which represents millions of outdoor enthusiasts through its member federations, has established an annual mountain protection award designed to promote responsible mountain tourism and support key stakeholders active in mountain protection.

The deadline for this year’s UIAA Mountain Protection Award now in its second year and which carries a USD 10 000 cash prize is 31 August 2014.

It is targeted primarily at travel and tourist operators who practice sustainable and environment-friendly mountain tourism projects but it is also open to non-profit entities that develop sustainable tourism projects.
The global scope of the award is reflected in the award’s first year which saw projects submitted by tourism and travel operators / agencies and associations from Bolivia, Ethiopia, Nepal, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru and Switzerland.

The initiatives included a mountain taxi service using local farmers to transport people to the mountains, a mass clean-up program to keep the heavily visited European Alps litter free and another program which promotes environmental sustainable expeditions in Nepal.

The winner of the inaugural award was an ecotourism project involving the Menz-Guassa Community Conservation Area (GCCA) situated in the northern highlands of Ethiopia and its conservation plan based on centuries’ old local Qero communal system of grassland management.

This year’s first initiatives include an ecotourism project to support aquaculture biodiversity in the Moroccan mountains and an international scouting centre in Switzerland which promotes “Leave No Trace” hiking in the Swiss Alps.

The themes for the projects eligible for the award include conservation of biodiversity, sustainable energy & resource management, waste management & disposal, mitigation of effects of climate change and culture and education. Requirements for eligibility include fair and respectful management and collaboration with local communities. Read more

Click here to apply for the award

Photo: Tom Nakamura