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.
Global Meeting concludes, new momentum for MPpeak to peakIssue 112 – Month 1 – Year 2018 The January issue of Peak to Peak shares with readers an overview of the fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, held in Rome, Italy on 11-13 December 2017. The newsletter continues with stories about the fifth edition of the Forum... Download » |
“Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya” closesnewsAfter four days of discussion on resilience issues in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, Nepal’s Ministry of Population and the Environment and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) closed the international conference “Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for Asia” on...
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15 years of Mountain PartnershippublicationThis publication celebrates the work of the Mountain Partnership - the only United Nations alliance dedicated to improving the lives of mountain communities and their ecosystems - over 15 years. It profiles key players, charts the achievements at global, regional and national level, and showcases success stories around the world.... Download » |
A focus on sustainable mountain food systemsnewsThe fifth edition of the Forum "Origin, Diversity and Territories" (ODT) was held on 1 December 2017 in Bulle, Switzerland and celebrated mountains under the theme "Designing sustainable mountain food systems". The forum explored the richness and dynamism of mountain territories. In her opening remarks, Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, |
Mountain Ecosystem Services and Climate Change: A Global Overview of Potential Threats and Strategies for AdaptationpublicationMountains provide vital resources to a significant proportion of the global population, particularly as the ‘water towers’ of the world, and as a result of their high biological diversity at genetic, species and ecosystem levels. As well as benefiting people and industries in lowland areas, these ecosystem services (ES) form... Download » |
Global Meeting concludes, new momentum for MPnewsOver 220 participants attended the fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership on 11-13 December 2017 in Rome, Italy, under the theme ‘Mountains under pressure: climate, hunger, migration’. International Mountain Day coincided with the first day of the meeting, and participants heard high-level statements by founding members of the Mountain...
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