Mountain biodiversity

Mountains loom large in some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Their unique topography, compressed climatic zones and isolation have created the conditions for a wide spectrum of life forms.

Half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are concentrated in mountains and mountains support approximately one-quarter of terrestrial biological diversity. Mountains are home to rare species of plants and animals. These include increasingly rare animals such as gorillas, mountain lions, and the majestic tahr or strikingly beautiful plants such as orchids and lobelias.

A large portion of the world's most precious gene pools (for agriculture and medicine) are preserved in mountains. Crops that are important for food security, such as maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes and apples, have been diversified in mountains and an array of domestic animals - sheep, goats, yaks, llamas and alpacas - have originated or been diversified in mountains. Other crops, such as wheat, rye, rice, oats and grapes, have found new homes in the mountains and evolved into many varieties. Coffee and tea, with their roots in Ethiopia and the Himalayan region, are mountain crops as well. Medicinal plants are one of the most valuable resources from high altitudes. This rich biodiversity holds cultural, ecological and economic value. In the Andes, for example, farmers know of as many as 200 different varieties of Indigenous Peoples' potatoes and, in Nepal, they farm approximately 2 000 varieties of rice.

Climate change, poverty, commercial mining, logging and poaching all exact a heavy toll on mountain biodiversity. The sustainable management of mountain biodiversity has increasingly been recognized as a global priority. The Convention on Biological Diversity adopted a Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity in 2004, which includes a set of actions and targets addressing characteristics and problems that are specific to mountain ecosystems.

International dialogue in Nepal calls for urgent climate action in mountains

peak to peak

The June 2024 issue of Peak to Peak covers the two-day international expert dialogue on "Mountain, People, and Climate Change" held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 22-23 May. Top news stories cover mountain events at the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the UN Forum on Forests. Peak to Peak...

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UNFF19: Safeguarding mountain forests for sustainable mountain development

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On 10 May, the Governments of Kyrgyzstan, Italy and Nepal, in collaboration with the UN Group of Friends for Mountains, hosted a side event at the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19) at UN headquarters in New York. The event emphasized the pivotal role of mountains...

FAO welcomes the celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomes the resolution adopted on 2 May 2024 by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 as International Year of Woman Farmer.

More than 50 percent of women in mountainous regions perform agricultural activities. Women play a key role...

Spotlighting mountain youth at the 2024 ECOSOC Youth Forum

peak to peak

The May 2024 issue of Peak to Peak shares the outcome of the Mountain Partnership Mountain Youth Hub's first ever side event during the ECOSOC Youth Forum. The newsletter continues with the exciting announcement of a new Mountain Partnership Goodwill Ambassador: American climber Sasha DiGiulian. Top news stories feature opportunities and...

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ECOSOC 2024 Youth Forum

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The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum provides a global platform for dialogue among Member States and young leaders from around the world on solutions to challenges affecting youth wellbeing. It also serves as a unique space for young people to share their vision and actions as well as...

Spotlight on Mountain Biodiversity - Towards an holistic view of warming mountains

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The second instalment of the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA)'s online webinar series "Spotlight on Mountain Biodiversity" will be held on 11 April 2024 at 15.00 CEST. This episode will feature Olivier Dangles of the University of Montpelliar who will speak about "Towards an holistic view of warming mountains".

This webinar...