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.
Healthy Mountains, Healthy Planet: A Hindu Kush Himalayan Partnership for Sustainable Mountain DevelopmenteventThe Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is a global asset that provides ecosystem goods and services to one-fifth of the world’s population, whose livelihoods are increasingly affected by rapid changes in the environment, climatic and social systems. Our ability to understand and manage these changes is important, and these understandings...
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FAO launches funding mechanism for mountainspeak to peakIssue 92 – Month 5 – Year 2016 The May issue of Peak to Peak opens with a story about the launch of a Mountain Facility, or funding mechanism, to address the rising threat of hunger in the mountain areas of developing countries. The newsletter also reports... Download » |
MPS Coordinator urges action on mountainsnewsA paradigm shift is needed in recognition of the global importance of mountains and the ecosystem services they provide, Thomas Hofer, Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) Coordinator told United Nations Radio in May 2016 ahead of a meeting with diplomats about hunger in the mountains. “There is a mismatch. There is...
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Dialogue between Science and Policy: Opportunities for Discussion and AnalysiseventSeveral Andean organizations are working on mountain ecosystems, allowing for closer collaboration and cooperation. OIKOS and CONDESAN are a clear example of partners working together. In a changing climate, informing and raising awareness about the role of mountains as sources of life, biodiversity and culture; their importance...
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Submissions for UN report on mountainsnewsThe Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) is currently compiling summaries of the most important results of mountain development activities since July 2013 for the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Report on Sustainable Mountain Development. Now requested every three years, the MPS and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations,...
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Mountain Research and Development issue onlinenewsWhen exploring pathways for sustainable development, knowledge about context matters just as much as our understanding of global processes. Papers in Open Issue (Vol 36, No 1) of Mountain Research and Development (MRD) carefully examine the changing social-ecological context and the global factors influencing it. Papers offer insights...
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