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.
Celebrating best practice: Expo 2020 selects 25 development projects providing tangible solutions to the world’s most pressing challengespublicationThis press release, issued by Expo 2020 Dubai, announces the 25 chosen Global Best Practice Programme projects, including the Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) Initiative. Download » |
![]() Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) initiative is going to Expo 2020 Dubaipeak to peakThe October 2019 issue of Peak to Peak begins with the news that the Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) initiative was selected as one of 25 Best Practices from around the world to be spotlighted at Expo 2020 Dubai! The newsletter continues with the Members' Voices section, this month featuring João... Download » |
![]() Elevating Mountains in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity FrameworkpublicationWith the Aichi Biodiversity Targets coming to an end in 2020, the world is preparing for a new set of ambitious biodiversity targets and goals to follow. This brief, prepared ahead of the first Open-Ended Working Group meeting on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in August 2019, highlights how mountains... Download » |
![]() United Nations General Assembly Report: Sustainable mountain development (2019)publicationReport of the Secretary-General on Sustainable Mountain Development
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![]() Science Magazine, Policy Forum: "Accelerating the movement for mountain peoples and policies"publicationYuka Makino, Sara Manuelli and Lindsey Hook from the Mountain Partnership authored this article for Science, a peer-reviewed, academic journal produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The article covers the current movement for mountain peoples and policies, details how these policies have far-reaching impacts on those... Download » |
![]() 2018 Annual Report now available onlinepeak to peakIssue 130 - Month 9 - Year 2019 The September 2019 issue of Peak to Peak begins with the release of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat Annual Report 2018. Continuing with the new Members' Voices section, Ruel Inojaldo Perez from the Baslay Farmers Association (BFA) explains his journey to becoming the Chairman of... Download » |
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