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.
![]() FAO's Work in Sustainable Mountain Development and Watershed Management—A 2017 UpdatepublicationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provides an update on its activities related to sustainable mountain development and watershed management in this 2017 platform statement published in Volume 37, Issue 2 (May 2017) of Mountain Research and Development. Download » |
![]() 11th International Conference on Community-Based AdaptationeventCommunity-based adaptation to climate change (CBA) focuses on empowering communities to use their own knowledge and decision-making processes to take action on climate change. The 11th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA11) will provide an opportunity to review the latest developments in CBA practice, policy and theory with participants from... Read more » |
![]() Keeping an Eye on SDG 15publicationThis publication presents the three forest-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators for which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the custodian agency, including SDG indicator 15.4.2, the Mountain Green Cover Index. It contains 3-4 pages for each indicator, covering the following: a) context of goal... Download » |
![]() High-level mountain conference announcedpeak to peakIssue 105 – Month 6 – Year 2017 The June issue of Peak to Peak announces the high-level conference on mountains “Mountains under Pressure” that will be held on 11 December 2017 at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. The newsletter continues with... Download » |
![]() Contest on Andean forests and climate changenewsThe Andean Forests Programme has announced the call for the 2017 Research Grants Fund. The contest aims to promote the generation of scientific information on the impacts and response options of Andean forests to climate change. The contest will finance research carried out in the Andean forests of Argentina, Bolivia... Read more » |
![]() CinemAmbiente Environmental Film FestivaleventSince its inception in 1998, the “CinemAmbiente” Environmental Film Festival has presented some of the best in environmental films. The festival seeks to address the myriad issues related to the environment, including pollution, consumerism, food, waste production and management, genetically modified organisms (GMO), sustainable development and climate change, with a... Read more » |
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