News

Asia commemorates IMD

20.01.2016

Like every year, many organizations in Asia enthusiastically observed International Mountain Day (IMD) in December 2015. The FAO Representation Office in Iran organized a conference in which Alessandro Amadio, the main speaker and the Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to the Islamic Republic of Iran, focused on sustainable employment and income generation in mountains. Amadio stressed that, due to the geographical isolation, mountain communities are often marginalized in political, social and economic decisions. Therefore, there is a need for "concrete support, and mountain-specific policies, strategies, investments and tools to create an enabling environment that can unlock their potential in a sustainable manner," he stated.

In Pakistan, the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) organized the Fifth Pakistan Mountain Festival (PMF). The festival comprised rock and wall climbing competitions, art exhibitions, the launch of a book on K2, a mountain products fair and cultural performances. In Pakistan, the ICIMOD Country Office in collaboration with the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), FOCUS, WWF-GB and local community members organized a panel discussion in Gilgit-Baltistan. The programme aimed to assess the development of the value chain of mountain products for livelihood improvement and to understand the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems.

In Bangladesh, Dr Surendra Joshi delivered a keynote address "Promoting sustainable livelihoods through high-value mountain products" at a programme organized by the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tract Affairs (MOCHTA) in celebration of IMD. In Bhutan, the Bhutan Media and Communication Institute (BMCI) organized an interaction programme with farmers from Thimphu, agri-based entrepreneurs and representatives of agricultural marketing institutions and the National Institute of Traditional Medicine. The event provided a platform for farmers and agri-based entrepreneurs and related institutions to come together and discuss issues of mutual interest.

The exhibition “Climate+Change Indian Himalayan Region: Our Mountains, Our Future” was launched in India. It featured stories from people living in the Indian Himalayan region, combined striking photography by David Breashears of GlacierWorks that show the rapidly changing Himalayas and the solutions being implemented in the region. The exhibition was organized by ICIMOD in collaboration with the India’s Ministry of Environment and the Centre for Education and Environment (CEE).

Also in India, Eco-Concept conducted a three-day community-learning programme at Mawlynnong in Meghalaya, known as one of the cleanest villages in Asia, for students from Guwahati and Meghalaya. The programme aimed to introduce students to the ways in which the local community is maintaining the village’s cleanliness and greenery. During the event, the students learned about mountain farming and livelihoods, as well as the challenges and opportunities that come with living in the mountains. The Make Ooty Beautiful (MOB) Project invited children from several schools in Ooty to participate in an art contest at the Government Art Gallery. They started by picking up litter outside the gallery, this was followed by a short talk on the importance of the world's mountains, including the one where their community lives. Afterwards, tea and snacks were served in reusable utensils, and everyone went home with certificates, promising to be actively involved in safeguarding the beautiful mountains. The Integrated Mountain Initiative held its annual Meet of the Mountain States in New Delhi. The Meet of the Mountain States was held in the format of a workshop which discussed disaster risk reduction, crucial for the mountains that face increasingly frequent large- and small-scale disasters such as earthquakes, flash-floods and landslides. Natural disasters result in loss of lives and set back the economy of the region by destroying assets, interrupting school education and livelihoods.

Over 20 producers from all over the world showcased mountain textiles, crafts, foods and beverages at an exhibition organized by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) and MP member Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation. Among the members participating were REDAR of Peru, Fundación Comunidad of Panama, the Bolivian Mountain Institute, The Mountain Institute in Nepal as well as several MP members from Central Asia and India. The members also attended an MPS-organized a workshop to share experiences and perceptions of mountain products across the world.

The High Value Agriculture Project (HVAP) aimed at highlighting the importance of high value products for mountain peoples’ livelihoods with members of the media and other event participants. The organizers shared HVAP’s successes and achievements on major value chain commodities (i.e. ginger, turmeric, apple, goat, off season vegetables and vegetable seeds) in the mid and far west districts of Nepal. A journalist from the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said, "Media is the vehicle to disseminate any means of activities to a wider audience and we should promote a culture of disseminating positive news, which could inspire people”.

Jose Ivars-Lopez, mountaineer and Ama Dablam Expedition member, climbed Ama Dablam in the Khumbu valley of Nepal, together with a team of Sherpas and Sidars and other prominent mountaineering figures, such as Carlos Soria, Kilian Jornet and Ueli Steck to raise the IMD flag on the highest sacred peak known and, from there, they sent a warm message calling attention to all the mountains in the world.

Meanwhile, in the Kyrgyz Republic, Quality Schools International in Bishkek, twinning with the Laurel Learning Co-operative in Tucker County, West Virginia, celebrated IMD by bringing vendors from all over the Kyrgyz Republic to teach the students the processes of making items and promoting mountain goods by allowing vendors to sell their products in a holiday bazaar. The 7 and 8 year-old-students engaged in a self-organized learning environment to study mountains.

Photo: Rajat Kumar Das

More pictures of IMD celebrations are available on the Mountain Partnership’s Flickr gallery.