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.
International Conference on Managing Mediterranean Mountain GeoheritageeventMediterranean mountains are sensitive environments showing a long history of human intervention resulting in complex land use and mosaics. Climate oscillations since the Tertiary Era, ranging from tropical and mild climates to cold climates during glacial periods, have left a remarkable imprint on many Mediterranean mountains. The annual variation of...
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Mountains highlighted at Model UN conferencenewsA Utah Valley University (UVU) delegation was recognized for its advocacy efforts on behalf of mountainous nations and of Kyrgyzstan in particular during the 67th session of the Model United Nations of the Far West (MUNFW) conference in San Francisco, California, United States of America on 24 April...
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Mountains 2018 organizers call for inputnewsMountains 2018 is the second in a series of international conferences that will bring together scholars, professionals, policy-makers and other stakeholders from the mountain world. The conference seeks to stimulate discussion and disseminate knowledge about mountains, based on lessons learned from scientific research and practical experiences related to the use...
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Mountains, one year after the Paris Agreementpeak to peakIssue 104 – Month 5 – Year 2017 The May issue of Peak to Peak reveals that 36 countries mentioned mountains in the first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) they submitted after signing and ratifying the Paris Agreement. The newsletter continues with stories about the Third World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)... Download » |
Crop diversity in the Pamir HighlandsnewsThe Public Organization “Environmental Consultancy”, jointly with the Pamir Eco-Cultural Tourism Association, will conduct a course on biocultural diversity, focused on the centennial of geneticist Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov’s expedition to the Pamir Highlands to explore the links between genetic diversity of crops and human cultures, on 2-10 August 2017 in...
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Mountains, one year after the Paris AgreementnewsOne year ago, on 22 April (Earth Day) 2016, 175 of the 197 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York to sign the Paris Agreement, an international treaty to address climate change. As of today, one year after...
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