Mountains are hazardous places. Many mountain communities live under the threat of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions caused by shifting tectonic plates. Gravity pushing down on sloping land compounds the destructive power of storms and heavy rains, producing avalanches, landslides and floods. Population growth, climate change and unsustainable natural resource management practices are putting dangerous pressure on the mountain ecosystems and making mountain communities increasingly vulnerable to disasters.
Women, children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to disasters. And in many mountain areas, it is these members of the community that are looking after mountain homesteads, as the men move to lowland cities or abroad to earn a better income and support their family through remittances.
Forces from outside mountain communities, such as commercial logging interests and market-driven agricultural production, also put pressure on mountain ecosystems. All of this can lead to deforestation and environmental degradation. The loss of forest cover deprives mountain communities of a protective barrier against landslides and avalanches and further contributes to increased soil erosion and water run off.
To reduce the risks of disasters in mountain areas it is urgent to increase awareness and to develop integrated strategies and policies on disaster risk management at the national level. Policy-makers involved with disaster risk management cannot afford to neglect mountains, considering the high number of natural hazards in mountain areas and the high vulnerability of mountain communities.
![]() Mountain Partnership Secretariat: Annual report 2023publicationThe Mountain Partnership is the United Nations alliance dedicated to mountain peoples and environments. The Secretariat of the Mountain Partnership is hosted by FAO. The 2023 Annual Report of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) outlines the MPS' key achievements throughout the year, including supporting the observance of the Five Years... Download » |
![]() Evaluation workshop for project "Enhancing community resilience to climate change in mountain watersheds"eventThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) project "Enhancing Community Resilience to Climate Change in Mountain Watersheds" (GCP/GLO/042/JPN), funded by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and supported by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, aims to strengthen the capacities of institutions and communities in forest-based... Read more » |
![]() Side event: Human mobility in the context of climate change in mountain areas – evidence, gaps and prioritieseventThe International Organization for Migration will be hosting a side event at the 3rd High-Level International Conference on International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028 in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. The event will be a moderated discussion held in person on 11 June (time and location to be confirmed). The event will... Read more » |
![]() Workshop participants in Pakistan learn to measure mountain communities' vulnerabilitynewsClimate-induced threats were identified as a main vulnerability factor for mountain communities in Pakistan during a workshop organized by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the University of Rome "La Sapienza", on 8–10 May 2024 in Islamabad. The technical... Read more » |
![]() Global Land Outlook rangelands reportpublicationIn anticipation of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026, this report serves as a catalyst for global awareness and action. It analyses numerous case studies and good practices from around the world, drawing on the experience and lessons learned, and advocates for a new paradigm to... Download » |
![]() UNFF19: Safeguarding mountain forests for sustainable mountain developmentnewsOn 10 May, the Governments of Kyrgyzstan, Italy and Nepal, in collaboration with the UN Group of Friends for Mountains, hosted a side event at the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19) at UN headquarters in New York. The event emphasized the pivotal role of mountains... Read more » |
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