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.
![]() MP Steering Committee meets in Romepeak to peakIssue 115 – Month 5 – Year 2018 The May 2018 issue of Peak to Peak provides a brief overview of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee meeting held in Rome, Italy, on 23–24 April. The newsletter continues with stories about the 2018 International Mountain Day theme; the baseline data... Download » |
![]() Climate resilience in Central Asia’s mountainsnewsKyrgyzstan is one of the most vulnerable countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to the impacts of climate change, primarily due to the sensitivity of its agricultural systems to climatic changes. Higher temperatures could cause altered precipitation patterns and more frequent heat waves, leading to increased aridity and drought,... Read more » |
![]() Mountain Research and Development issue onlinenewsThe papers in the latest issue of the journal Mountain Research and Development (MRD) analyze gender-inclusive nettle value chain development in western Nepal, discuss the impact of Swiss government policy on maintaining high-mountain pasturing in the Alps, present an agronomic study of an endangered landrace of runner bean in Italy... Read more » |
![]() Visualizing mountain environment conservationnewsAs the custodian agency of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 15.4, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) developed the official indicator, the Mountain Green Cover Index, for monitoring progress towards the achievement of this target. Baseline data developed for the... Read more » |
![]() Call for participation, IPCC special reportpeak to peakIssue 114 – Month 4 – Year 2018 The April issue of Peak to Peak opens with a call to contribute literature on mountains for possible inclusion in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. The newsletter continues... Download » |
![]() Mountain women advocacy at CSW62newsA 26-member delegation from Utah Valley University (UVU) participated in the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62) at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters on 19-21 March 2018. The priority theme of CSW62 was “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment... Read more » |
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