Each day, one of every two people on the planet quenches his thirst with water that originates in mountains. And as the world population swells to an estimated 9.6 billion by 2050, the worldwide demand for freshwater will continue to soar.
More than half of humanity relies on mountain freshwater for everyday life. The ten largest rivers originating in the Hindu Kush Himalayas alone supply water to over 1.35 billion people. Some of the world’s largest cities, including New York, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Tokyo and Melbourne, are dependent on freshwater from mountains.
Climate change is already causing more than 600 glaciers to disappear, resulting in springs and rivers drying up. Greater frequency of extreme weather events, droughts and floods, including flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), are also expected to increase in mountains, causing imbalance between current water supply and demand.
Given the importance of mountain water resources worldwide, the careful management of mountain water resources is a global priority. Water management practices need to be adapted to different climatic zones, using locally adapted soil and water management techniques. Most importantly, watershed management must take into account the needs of all those who depend on mountain water, including those who have the greatest stake in preserving healthy mountain ecosystems – people who live in mountain areas themselves, who are often marginalized from the decision-making processes.
![]() Fog catchers in the mountains of Costa RicanewsMountain ecosystems in Costa Rica are factories of water. In July 2016, the Environmental Unit of the Municipality of La Union, Costa Rica managed the project "Promoting and facilitating the integrated and sustainable management of the upper region of the Tiribí River watershed", to the Canadian Fund Program for Local... Read more » |
![]() Forum on mountain snow leopard openspeak to peakIssue 108 – Month 9 – Year 2017 The September issue of Peak to Peak announces the opening of the International Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Forum, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The newsletter continues with stories about how Mountain Partnership (MP) members can register for the upcoming Global Meeting, an... Download » |
![]() Course on mountain ecosystems to opennewsA new online course on mountain ecosystems and water management will begin on 13 September 2017. The course, titled “Ecosistemas de montaña y gestión del agua”, is organized by the Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional (UCI) together with the development agency ProalSUR, under the auspices of the Mountain Partnership. The objective of... Read more » |
![]() Registering for the MP Global MeetingnewsMembers of the Mountain Partnership are invited to attend the Mountain Partnership Global Meeting, which will be held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters on 11-13 December 2017, in conjunction with the International Mountain Day. The Meeting will be followed by a two-day training... Read more » |
![]() World Water Week 2017eventWorld Water Week is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. Experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators and young professionals from a range of sectors and countries come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. Organized... Read more » |
![]() Case studies, climate and hunger in mountainsnewsYour case studies are invited for the fact sheets currently being created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) for International Mountain Day (IMD) 2017, which will take place on 11 December. The theme chosen for this year’s celebration is... Read more » |
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