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National trainings on sustainable mountain management held in Montenegro and Pakistan

27.12.2023

Two national trainings on mountain vulnerability assessment have been conducted within the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) project "Sustainable management of natural resources in mountain areas". The trainings were executed by the FAO Mountain Partnership Secretariat together with the University of Rome "La Sapienza", the main implementing partner.

The first session, held on 21–24 November 2023 at the FAO Pakistan Country Office, trained 19 participants from government institutions. The second session, held on 28 November – 1 December 2023, trained ten participants from various government agencies in Montenegro.

The trainings focused on the use of data and geospatial tools to estimate land degradation, based on a methodology developed by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and on mountain communities' lack of access to facilities and services. Participants generated maps and statistics spotlighting where land degradation appears to be more prominent and identifying villages that are in critically remote areas. This information helped to identify areas and populations where conditions indicate environmental and socioeconomic instability and therefore help to identify the vulnerability of rural communities.

The initiative "Sustainable management of natural resources in mountain areas" is financially supported by the Government of Italy through the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. It operates globally to improve the livelihoods of rural communities through the sustainable management of natural resources, with a specific focus on mountain areas. The countries involved in the project include Afghanistan, Albania, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro and Pakistan.

Fabio Grita, Chief Technical Advisor, FAO, said, "We assist the governments of the focus countries to identify vulnerable mountain communities and the underlying causes of vulnerability through a systematic and scientific approach. We do this by enhancing the technical capacity of key institutions to analyse national and international data using well-established methodologies. As part of the capacity development component of the project, these trainings are generating critical information that may help raise awareness of the need to address the environmental and economic challenges faced by mountain people through policy measures and well-defined emergency plans."

Participants in both trainings expressed their desire to continue the activities and to involve stakeholders at the grassroots level, such as farmers and representatives of farmers' associations, as well as policymakers to keep them regularly informed of the progress made and the results obtained.

Learn more about the Sustainable management of natural resources in mountain areas project