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 certificate programme in NepalnewsTo address the growing challenges of climate change and disaster risk reduction, 70 district officials in the Chitwan District, Nepal gathered on 14 February to start a four-month certification programme in climate change. The certificate programme has been organized by the Chitwan District Development Committee, Government of Nepal with technical... Read more » |
![]() Trees, forests and water: cool insights for a hot worldpublicationForests’ many life-sustaining functions as prime regulators within the water, energy and carbon cycles are still not universally recognized, a fact that the world ignores at its peril, a new article cautions. To address climate change and land misuse, global action should be realigned to prioritize trees’ and forests’ key... Download » |
![]() Sustainable value chains for sustainable food systemspublicationThe joint FAO/UNEP workshop on Sustainable Value Chains for Sustainable Food Systems was organized by the Sustainable Food Systems Programme and held on 8–9 June 2016 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. This report details the workshop and contains a paper about the Mountain Partnership Products Initiative, contributed by the Mountain Partnership... Download » |
![]() Adaptation Outlook for the Hindu Kush HimalayanewsAs the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is one of the most vulnerable regions on Earth to climate change, implementing adaptation measures that target these mountains and downstream areas is crucial. But to what extent are existing national and sectoral adaptation policies relevant to the HKH, and where can they be... Read more » |
![]() IMD celebrated in over 40 countries in 2016peak to peakIssue 101 – Month 2 – Year 2017 The February issue of Peak to Peak takes readers on a tour of International Mountain Day (IMD) celebrations held throughout the world. The newsletter opens with a story about the overall global success of IMD 2016, which saw over 200 events... Download » |
![]() Twelve countries discuss snow leopardsnewsThe Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) held a Steering Committee meeting on 20 January 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal. A two-day stocktaking workshop preceded the meeting to discuss the status of the GSLEP landscapes management plans and the overall progress of national snow leopard and ecosystem... Read more » |
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