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.
Project to help mountain farmers in East AfricanewsA new initiative will focus on implementing research-based interventions to support the food security and reduce the vulnerability of smallholder farming families in Jimma Highlands, Ethiopia, Taita Hills and Murang’a, Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Called “Adaptation for Ecosystem Resilience in Africa (AFERIA)” the two-year initiative has been launched...
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Artwork portrays climate change in mountainsnewsMountain Wilderness, a member of the Mountain Partnership, is conscious of the significant impact climate change is having on the world's mountains. As part of a campaign to limit the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, Mountain Wilderness of Catalonia (Spain) has published a drawing of...
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Summer course to focus on managing mountain resourcespeak to peakIssue 91 – Month 4 – Year 2016 The April issue of Peak to Peak reveals that this year’s IPROMO course will focus on managing mountain resources and diversities – the role of protected areas, in Ormea, Italy, in July. The newsletter also shares calls for mountain-related... Download » |
Indigenous adaptation knowledge in mountainsnewsMountain ecosystems and communities are extremely vulnerable to climate change. There is evidence that temperatures are rising faster at higher altitudes. High mountains are ‘highly temperature sensitive regions’, with several extreme impact events of recent decades attributed to warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Glacier retreat...
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Our Journey in 2015: Mountain Partnership Secretariat Annual ReportpublicationThe Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) outlines its key achievements in promoting sustainable mountain development (SMD) in its 2015 annual report. The annual report describes the Secretariat’s work in advocacy, communication and knowledge management, promoting International Mountain Day, brokering joint action and leading capacity development initiatives. One of the its most... Download » |
High elevation warming compared to the ArcticnewsThe question whether mountains and other high elevation regions of the world are warming more rapidly as compared to other portions of the planet is of tremendous interest to many scientists who are engaged in studies in climate change. A study conducted by the Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University...
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