Water
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.
Call for mountain photographs for IMDnewsSend us your mountain photos. We are seeking pictures that show local mountain culture. You could submit portraits of mountain peoples or spontaneous shots of individuals engaging in traditional activities, festivals or everyday mountain life. The photographs will be used to promote International Mountain Day (IMD), which is 11 December. The...
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We Are Alps Tour 2016: "Alpine Green Economy"eventThe 2016 edition of the We are Alps tour will look for answers to what the green economy is, how it is unfolding in the Alps - whether different from the lowlands, what its characteristics are and what good practice examples can be found across the Alps (with focus this...
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Forest survey – your participation invitednewsYou are invited to take part in a global survey that the FAO Forest and Water Programme has released to take stock of the many variables, indicators and methods being implemented to measure forest-water interactions. The survey was especially designed to receive feedback from researchers, technicians and practitioners who are...
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Newsletter for West Africa mountainsnewsThe Platform of Civil Society Organization for the Safeguard of Mountains (PSM) began a newsletter for green actors in seven countries of West Africa. PSM is a platform for the stability of mountains and the wellbeing of mountain communities in West Africa and includes some Mountain Partnership members. With the release...
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Call for abstracts: Caucasus Mountain ForumnewsDesigned to be a meeting place for scientists, policy makers and practitioners, the Caucasus Mountain Forum 2016 will provide an opportunity for different kinds of contributions. The Scientific Network will organize the Forum for the Caucasus Mountain Region in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 27 November-1 December and invite submissions for the...
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Action in mountains vital to global goalspeak to peak Issue 93 – Month 6 – Year 2016 The June issue of Peak to Peak begins with the coverage of an MPS event where United Nations diplomats called for efforts to address the rising rate of food insecurity in mountainous areas...
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