Human activities are profoundly affecting the world’s climate, and mountains are a sensitive indicator of that effect. Because of their altitude, slope and orientation to the sun, mountain ecosystems are easily disrupted by variations in climate. Many scientists believe that the changes occurring in mountain ecosystems may provide an early glimpse of what could come to pass in lowland environments.
As the world heats up, mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, while rare plants and animals struggle to survive over ever diminishing areas, and mountain peoples, already among the world’s poorest citizens, face even greater hardships.
Changes in the volume of mountain glaciers and in their seasonal melting patterns have an impact on water resources in many parts of the world. Changes in water availability due to climate change are taking place at a time when pressure on water resources for irrigation and food production, industrialization and urbanization is increasing.
Understanding how climate change affects mountains is vital as governments and international organizations develop strategies to reverse current global warming trends, elaborating treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, local community empowerment can be an essential step towards building climate change resilience in mountains.
![]() Ahan village in Azerbaijan develops participatory land-use plan to protect mountain soilsnewsAhan is a village with a population of 519 people located in the high mountains of the Greater Caucasus region of Azerbaijan. The majority of the population engages in livestock farming, continuing a tradition of nomadic herding with a transhumance lifestyle. The community migrates to the winter pastures located in... Read more » |
![]() Key insights from the High-level Political Forum event on mountainspeak to peakThe August 2023 issue of Peak to Peak shares the outcomes of the Mountain Partnership's side event at the 2023 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Top news stories cover trainings on participatory guarantee systems in the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Peru and sustainable mountain development in Italy, as... Download » |
![]() UN Food Systems Stocktaking MomenteventOn behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Antonio Tajani, announced today the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment, will take place in Rome, Italy from 24 – 26 July... Read more » |
![]() Water, ice, society, and ecosystems in the Hindu Kush HimalayapublicationA major assessment report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) reveals unprecedented and largely irreversible changes to the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region's glaciers, snow and permafrost due to global warming. The report, titled "Water, Ice, Society, and Ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HI-WISE)," maps the... Download » |
![]() Apply for "GROW - Agrobiodiversity in a Changing Climate" 2023newsThe application for the 2023 edition of the online training programme GROW - Agrobiodiversity in a Changing Climate, to be held on 14–24 November, is now open. One of the world's greatest challenges is to secure access for all to adequate supplies of food that are healthy, safe and high... Read more » |
![]() New strategy paper on climate change and security in the Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif areanewsBiodiversity loss is one of humanity's greatest challenges. Amplified by climate change, it threatens not only ecosystems but also the people who depend on them. On 9 June 2023, member the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – a member of the Mountain Partnership – and Berlin-based think tank... Read more » |
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