UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres calls on mountain countries to take bold action on climate change mitigation and adaption

Mountains and climate change


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.

Kyrgyz Republic presents “Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions”

Kyrgyz Republic presents “Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions”

peak to peak

The June 2022 issue of Peak to Peak opens with an overview of an event hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations to present the concept of the "Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions" to the permanent missions of the United...

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Mountains ADAPT: Solutions from East Africa

Mountains ADAPT: Solutions from East Africa

publication

To mark the official launch of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has published two new booklets, titled Mountains ADAPT. They feature 27 concrete solutions in mountainous areas to adapt to the climate crisis – 18 in East Africa and nine...

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Mountains ADAPT: Solutions from the South Caucasus

Mountains ADAPT: Solutions from the South Caucasus

publication

To mark the official launch of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has published two new booklets, titled Mountains ADAPT. They feature 27 concrete solutions in mountainous areas to adapt to the climate crisis – 18 in East Africa and nine...

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Launching event of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development

Launching event of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development

peak to peak

The May 2022 issue of Peak to Peak highlights the opening ceremony of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022. Top news stories cover the release of the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment's new global mountain inventory, a workshop hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Network...

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Protective functions of forests in a changing climate: 70 years of European experience – World Forestry Congress side event

Protective functions of forests in a changing climate: 70 years of European experience – World Forestry Congress side event

event

The European Forestry Commission (EFC) Working Party on the Management of Mountain Watersheds (WPMMW) was established in 1950 to promote sustainable development in mountain areas. Currently, Austria chairs the group and has put an emphasis on the protective functions of mountain forests in a changing climate.

Forests fulfil many crucial protective...

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Students advocate for mountain women and sustainable mountain development

Students advocate for mountain women and sustainable mountain development

news

The Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at Utah Valley University, continues to actively promote sustainable mountain development.

On 3 March 2022, the UIMF hosted a discussion on mountains with Ambassador Harold Forsyth, Chair of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS)...

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