UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres calls on mountain countries to take bold action on climate change mitigation and adaption
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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.
Mountain session, SDG 15 Expert Group MeetingnewsThe role of mountains as key providers of goods and services essential for global sustainable development was discussed during a dedicated session of the Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 on Life on Land in New York on 15 May 2018. Andrew Taber, former Chair of the...
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The Mountain Institute wins St Andrews PrizenewsThe Mountain Institute, a Mountain Partnership member, is the 2018 winner of the St Andrews Prize for the Environment. Their winning project integrates 2 000 years of indigenous knowledge of water management in the Andes with contemporary science and technology to create hybrid solutions that improve water security,...
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Adaptation in Central Asia mountain villagesnewsThe Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities (AGOCA) recently published the brochure Traditional adaptation practices in Central Asian villages. The publication was the result of the multi-year project “Improving resilience and adaptive capacity at the local level”, supported by the Mountain Partnership (MP) Central Asia Mountain Hub (CAMH),...
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MP Steering Committee meets in Romepeak to peakIssue 115 – Month 5 – Year 2018 The May 2018 issue of Peak to Peak provides a brief overview of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee meeting held in Rome, Italy, on 23–24 April. The newsletter continues with stories about the 2018 International Mountain Day theme; the baseline data... Download » |
Climate resilience in Central Asia’s mountainsnewsKyrgyzstan is one of the most vulnerable countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to the impacts of climate change, primarily due to the sensitivity of its agricultural systems to climatic changes. Higher temperatures could cause altered precipitation patterns and more frequent heat waves, leading to increased aridity and drought,...
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Mountain Research and Development issue onlinenewsThe papers in the latest issue of the journal Mountain Research and Development (MRD) analyze gender-inclusive nettle value chain development in western Nepal, discuss the impact of Swiss government policy on maintaining high-mountain pasturing in the Alps, present an agronomic study of an endangered landrace of runner bean in Italy...
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