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.

Call for abstracts: Caucasus Mountain Forum

Call for abstracts: Caucasus Mountain Forum

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Designed to be a meeting place for scientists, policy makers and practitioners, the Caucasus Mountain Forum 2016 will provide an opportunity for different kinds of contributions. The Scientific Network will organize the Forum for the Caucasus Mountain Region in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 27 November-1 December and invite submissions for the...

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Why is food insecurity rising in mountains?

Why is food insecurity rising in mountains?

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There are many interrelated factors behind this troubling trend, explains Andrew Taber of The Mountain Institute, referring to data revealed by “Mapping the Vulnerability of Mountain Peoples to Food Insecurity”, a study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization in collaboration with the Mountain Partnership Secretariat. According to...

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Action in mountains vital to global goals

Action in mountains vital to global goals

peak to peak

 Issue 93 – Month 6 – Year 2016

The June issue of Peak to Peak begins with the coverage of an MPS event where United Nations diplomats called for efforts to address the rising rate of food insecurity in mountainous areas...

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A fête for nature, land, oceans and mountains

A fête for nature, land, oceans and mountains

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For the third consecutive year, Earth Day Italia brought the “Village for the Earth” to Rome. An intense four days were dedicated to celebrating Earth Day, the most significant edition since the series saw its start. In fact, on 22 April 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and world leaders...

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Method for climate adaptation in the mountains

Method for climate adaptation in the mountains

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Active Remedy Ltd submitted a report - outlining a method/tool for working with mountain communities and integrating modern and traditional knowledge conservation approaches – to a United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) database. The worldwide database gathers various uses of Local, Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge and Practices for...

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Group for sustainable Himalayan development

Group for sustainable Himalayan development

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In a bid to mobilize support and commitment to regional cooperation for sustainable mountain development, the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) Partnership for Sustainable Mountain Development was endorsed by ministers and high-level government representatives from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan and...

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