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.
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The Alps are a coherent mountain region covering 190,568 km2 across eight countries, with a population of 14 million. Their central location in western Europe gives them many important roles for the continent. The Alpine economy is based on a symbiosis of... Download » |
Why mountains of the Middle East and North Africa matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
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Why the Central Asian mountains matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
The Central Asian mountains provide an astonishing array of essential ecosystem goods and services not only to mountain inhabitants but also to people in the lowlands and around the globe. These goods and services include forest products and land for food production;... Download » |
Why the Hindu Kush Himalaya matterspublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
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Why mountains of the Southeast Asia and Pacific region matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
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