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.
Climate Change Innovation and Resilience for Sustainable LivelihoodeventThis international conference will focus on innovative approaches from the physical and social sciences to support economic development in mountain and lowland South Asia, which faces serious climate hazards along with food, water, and soil management and environmental justice challenges. The City University of New York, Colorado State University, The...
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One Voice for the Mountainspeak to peakIssue 76 – Month 1 – Year 2015 The January issue of Peak to Peak opens with a story about an event that brought attention to the role of mountains as the water towers of the world in a changing climate on the margins of the climate... Download » |
Mountains and Climate Change - A global concernpublicationMountains are among the regions most affected by climate change. The implications of climate change will reach far beyond mountain areas, as the contributions in the present publication prepared for the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Lima,... Download » |
Andean countries prepare for a regional mechanismpeak to peakIssue 73 – Month 10 – Year 2014 Our new issue of Peak to Peak opens with news of the Andean countries preparing for a regional mechanism. This example shows that transboundary cooperation can be centred on mountains. We also look at new MP members and activities,... Download » |
Monitoring K2 climate data in real timenewsThe highest climate monitoring station in the Baltoro area of Pakistan was installed near K2 Base Camp in July 2014, as part of the international monitoring project, Stations at High Altitude for Research on Environment (SHARE), promoted by the Ev-K2-CNR Committee. The station is higher than the three...
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Transnational Working Table 1eventThe first of two workshops on the results of projects in mountainous European countries and on the development of the Alps will allow participants to share knowledge and experiences on Alpine Space Projects. The meeting will also discuss WikiAlps, an encyclopaedia-like online platform, and its potential use in policy design...
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