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 Partnership members meet in KyrgyzstannewsThe Mountain Societies Research Institute of the University of Central Asia (MSRI\UCA) hosted a meeting of Mountain Partnership members in Central Asia on 22 June 2018. Representatives of MSRI, Aigine Cultural Research Center, PF EKOIS, Institute for Sustainable Development Strategy Public Fund...
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![]() High-level International Conference on the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028eventLack of access to safe drinking water, basic sanitation and sound hygiene, along with water scarcity and water pollution constitute some of today’s biggest challenges for the international community, in particular for developing countries. Increasingly frequent water-related disasters, climate change, urbanization, population growth, desertification and drought combined with a lack... Read more » |
![]() IPROMO 2018: Bioeconomy in mountain areasnewsThe bioeconomy of the world’s mountains will be under discussion at the 2018 International Programme on Research and Training on Sustainable Management of Mountain Areas (IPROMO) in Ormea and Pieve Tesino, Italy, from 18 June to 2 July. Some 37 technical officers and researchers from more than 20 countries will... Read more » |
![]() Mountain Futures in ChinanewsResearchers and representatives from governments, mountain communities and private sector companies from across the globe meet at the four-day Mountain Futures 2018 conference to discuss inspiration and innovation from the world highlands. Read more » |
![]() MRI Scoping Workshop and Networking EventeventThe Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) will be holding the Scoping Workshop and Networking Event “An agenda for sustainable mountaineering: research needs, projects and partnership opportunities” on 15 June 2018 in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France to discuss sustainable mountaineering through research needs, projects and partnership opportunities. The Sustainable Summits Conference 2018 (SSC... Read more » |
![]() 4th Sustainable Summits ConferenceeventIn 2010, the Sustainable Summits Conference was launched by the American Alpine Club with the primary goal of sharing solutions for managing human waste in the high mountain peaks around the world. At the 2014 conference in Golden, Colorado, USA, and again in 2016 at Aoraki / Mount Cook National... Read more » |
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