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.
![]() Commitment from Asian mountain experts on climate changenewsExperts from Asian mountains committed themselves to working together for social and ecological resilience to climate change at the Regional Workshop on Climate Change Impacts in Asian Mountains in Kathmandu, Nepal, 13-15 March. Senior...
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![]() Apples ‘souring’ due to climate changenewsSweet apples grown in the Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh are gradually losing their taste as a result of climate change, according to reports. Farmers of the remote Mechuka valley in West Siang district are complaining that 15-20 years ago the apples they produced were sweet, but now the fruits taste... Read more » |
![]() Mountains under Watch 2013 (MUW13)eventMountains Under Watch is an interdisciplinary conference that aims at bringing together scientists and experts working in the diverse fields of climate change studies in mountain areas around the world. The specific goal of the conference is to share experiences, methods and strategies for long term observations and monitoring of... Read more » |
Climate and insect pests in Eastern AfricanewsA four-year research and development project on the impacts of climate change on insect pests in eastern African mountains is underway in Kenya, coordinated by the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology. The Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Food Security in Eastern Africa (CHIESA) Project 2011–2015 targets... Read more » |
![]() New Regional Initiative for Mountains agreed for the MENA regionnewsOver 15 representatives from the Middle East and North African (MENA) region met in Marrakech this week to discuss the effects of climate change in mountains. Read more » |
![]() Doha Climate Summit outcomesnewsThe 195 parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) approved a complex package called “The Doha Climate Gateway” at December’s UN Climate Change Conference - Conference of the Parties (COP 18) in Doha, Qatar. The Doha Gateway, while setting no new targets, marks a second phase with... Read more » |
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