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.
Water from glaciers for the arid regions: monitoring the BaltoronewsIn the arid climate of northern Pakistan, glacial melt water represents nearly all water usable by the population. Monitor the evolution of the Baltoro, is the objective of the project, elaborated by the researchers of Polytechnic and of the University of Milan and coordinated by EvK2Cnr, within the Seed and...
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 Fig 16-02.jpg "Future Andean Community legislation on illegal mining")
Future Andean Community legislation on illegal miningblogJuly 10, 2012. Last week, during a meeting held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombia, the countries who are member of the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador) analyzed and agreed on the final text of future community legislation on illegal mining. Please see the complete information in...
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Second Forum on EU Outermost RegionseventThe European Union (EU) will hold a forum to address major development issues in the EU Outermost Regions (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Saint Martin, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands) in light of the Europe 2020 Strategy to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Issues to be addressed...
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The retreating Himalayas: disaster in slow motionnewsIf the unprecedented rate of glacial retreat in the South Asian region is not checked, countries in the area are likely to turn highly food-insecure. Pakistan’s latest Climate Change Policy clearly indicates that freshwater resources in Pakistan are dependent on snow and glacial melting and monsoon rains; all of which...
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.jpg "Rivers will generate a quarter of GDP by 2050, study shows")
Rivers will generate a quarter of GDP by 2050, study showsnewsThe world’s 10 most populous river basins (Ganges, Yangtze, Indus, Nile, Huang He Huai He, Niger, Hai, Krishna and the Danube) will be vital for economic growth – but only if water shortage threats are tackled. Rivers are the very “stuff of life”, yet billions of people do not have...
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UNESCO Holds Workshop on Impact of Glacier Retreat in AndesnewsThe UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organized a regional workshop titled "The Impact of Glacier Retreat in the Andes: International Multidisciplinary Network for Adaptation Strategies" under the auspices of its International Hydrological Programme (IHP), and Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The workshop, which took place in Lima, Peru,...
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