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. 

We Are Alps Tour 2016: "Alpine Green Economy"

We Are Alps Tour 2016: "Alpine Green Economy"

event

The 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 invited

Forest survey – your participation invited

news

You 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 mountains

Newsletter for West Africa mountains

news

The 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 Forum

Call for abstracts: Caucasus Mountain Forum

news

Designed 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 goals

Action in mountains vital to global goals

peak 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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A fête for nature, land, oceans and mountains

A fête for nature, land, oceans and mountains

news

For the third consecutive year, Earth Day Italia brought the “Village for the Earth” to Rome. An intense four days were dedicated to celebrating Earth Day, the most significant edition since the series saw its start. In fact, on 22 April 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and world leaders...

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