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.
![]() CinemAmbiente Environmental Film FestivaleventSince its inception in 1998, the “CinemAmbiente” Environmental Film Festival has presented some of the best in environmental films. The festival seeks to address the myriad issues related to the environment, including pollution, consumerism, food, waste production and management, genetically modified organisms (GMO), sustainable development and climate change, with a... Read more » |
![]() Mountain Partnership Global Meeting announcednewsThe Mountain Partnership Global Meeting, titled “Mountains under Pressure”, will be held on 11-13 December 2017 at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy, announced Mountain Partnership Secretariat Coordinator Thomas Hofer on 24 May. The theme of the meeting will be “Climate,... Read more » |
![]() MP members attend water forum in TajikistannewsRepresentatives from several Mountain Partnership (MP) member organizations attended the Europe and Central Asia Forum (ECA Forum) on Social Accountability in the Water and Sanitation Sector, organized by Oxfam together with the Global Partnership for Social Accountability and the Water Partnership Program of the World Bank, on 23-25... Read more » |
![]() Latest newsletter from the Mount Kenya TrustnewsThe Mount Kenya Trust shares news of its recent events and initiatives in the latest edition of “Mountain Dispatches”, the Mount Kenya Trust’s quarterly newsletter. Covering news from January through March 2017, the newsletter opens with a message from Executive Officer Susie Weeks, who explains that despite drought... Read more » |
![]() Mountains highlighted at Model UN conferencenewsA Utah Valley University (UVU) delegation was recognized for its advocacy efforts on behalf of mountainous nations and of Kyrgyzstan in particular during the 67th session of the Model United Nations of the Far West (MUNFW) conference in San Francisco, California, United States of America on 24 April... Read more » |
![]() Mountains, one year after the Paris AgreementnewsOne year ago, on 22 April (Earth Day) 2016, 175 of the 197 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York to sign the Paris Agreement, an international treaty to address climate change. As of today, one year after... Read more » |
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