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.
![]() Incentivizing Mountain Communities for Ecosystem Services in a Changing ClimateeventThe International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and partners will host a special session on incentivizing mountain communities for ecosystem services in the context of a changing climate at the International Conference on Biodiversity, Climate Change Assessment and Impacts on Livelihoods, set to take place... Read more » |
![]() Mountain Regions, Territories of InnovationeventThe Laboratoire D’Excellence Innovation et Territiores de Montagne (LabEx ITEM) will host “Mountain Regions, Territories of Innovation”. The conference will investigate the future of mountain regions in the face of climate change and changing relationships between communities and nature. How do endogenous and exogenous processes of change and adaptation transforming... Read more » |
![]() Publication on waste management in mountainsnewsA new report looks at the growing issue of waste in the world’s mountain regions. Launched by GRID-Arendal, the International Solid Waste Management Association and the United Nations Environment Programme on 11 December, International Mountain Day, “Waste management Outlook for Mountain Regions - Sources and solutions” highlights both... Read more » |
![]() Resilience in the rural AndesnewsA recently published special issue of Regional Environmental Change focuses on “Resilience in the rural Andes”. The Andes present an ideal learning space to draw lessons on existing and emerging resilience challenges and opportunities. Andean people and communities have co-evolved with the unique high-mountain contexts in which they... Read more » |
![]() Mountain Research and Development issue onlinenewsThe articles in this issue of Mountain Research and Development derive from papers presented at the 2015 Perth III “Mountains of Our Future Earth” conference and align themselves with research themes of Future Earth. The papers feature a Canadian software tool to compare mountain photos for environmental monitoring,... Read more » |
![]() Online mountain assessment tool launchednewsThe Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) Program of Future Earth launched a new version of the GMBA Mountain Portal on 11 December, International Mountain Day, along with the GMBA mountain inventory. The GMBA Mountain Portal is a resource developed by Map of Life that... Read more » |
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