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.
Mountain Forests in a Changing WorldpublicationThe integrity and resilience of mountain forests is under threat from increasing temperatures and wildfires, population growth and food and fuel insecurity, lead to “Mountain Forests in a Changing World”, a new FAO publication. The report, jointly produced by the FAO-hosted Mountain Partnership Secretariat and the Swiss Agency for Development... Download » |
Partnering to Protect Mountain Ecosystems from the Vagaries of Climate Change (UNFCCC COP17, Durban, South Africa)newsSeeking to highlight the critical role mountain ecosystems play in climate adaptation and sustainable development, Mountain Day was held on 4 December 2011 during the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Durban, South Africa. Two high-level...
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Mountain Partnership Coordinator attends UNFCCC COP17 in DurbannewsDear Mountain Friends, I will be attending the UNFCCC COP17 in Durban from 2 to 7 December 2011 On 4 December, I will participate in International Mountain Day delivering a presentation on "Climate Change Adaptation in Mountains" at the Breakers Resort in Durban You are welcome to contact me, as I will be...
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Climate Summit for a Living HimalayanewsClimate change poses severe threats to Himalayan nations. With 24 of its 2674 glacial lakes considered unstable, the Kingdom of Bhutan alone is preparing for an increase in "mountain tsunamis", as the phenomenon is often referred to. The one occurred in 1994 caused dozens of people dead. Further to the...
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Highlands and Drylands: Mountains, a Source of Resilience in Arid RegionspublicationRecognizing the crucial role of Dryland Mountains - water towers for surrounding dry lowland areas, global change laboratories for monitoring the combined effects of climate and socio-economic changes - in the global discourse on how to redefine and implement a truly sustainable development, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the... Download » |
Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation and Development in Mountain RegionsnewsThere is still very limited awareness, let alone concern, at the global-level of the impacts caused by climate change in mountain ecosystems. The information available generally focuses on retreating glaciers. While the perception may be one of regions with low population density in a harsh environment, the reality is magnitudes...
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