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.
Italian MP member EV-K2 to monitor 7200 glaciers in PakistannewsAbout 7 200 glaciers in Pakistan will be monitored thanks to a project being led by the EV-K2 Association, an Italian member of the Mountain Partnership. The Italian-Pakistani project "Glaciers and Students" will make an inventory of the 7 200 glaciers of the Karakoram – the mountain range representing...
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Building resilience into watersheds – A sourcebookpublicationThe purpose of this sourcebook is to provide advice on how to incorporate disaster risk reduction and resilience building into the watershed management process. As an increasingly heavier toll is exerted on agriculture and food systems by drought, floods, wildfires, and other extreme events, adopting risk reduction and management practices...
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Advancing sustainable mountain development recognized as a commitment of action ahead of the UN 2023 Water ConferencenewsConsidering more than half of humanity relies on mountain freshwater for everyday life, the careful management of mountain water resources is a global priority. In the lead up to the UN 2023 Water Conference, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat successfully submitted a commitment of action titled "Advancing sustainable mountain development and...
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"Restoring mountain ecosystems" theme of International Mountain Day 2023peak to peakThe February 2023 issue of Peak to Peak announces the theme of International Mountain Day 2023: "Restoring mountain ecosystems". Top news stories highlight the addition of four new governments as members of the Mountain Partnership, a call for inputs for the 2022 Mountain Partnership Secretariat Annual Report, a recent conference... Download » |
Zero Water Day: Seizing the opportunity from a public health perspectivepublicationWater is a finite natural resource. Zero Water Day(s) scenarios are challenging people and communities in Europe and worldwide. The public health community must seize the opportunity to prepare for Zero Water Day(s) through strengthening capacity and capability to respond to rapidly emerging emergencies as well as protected crises. Collaboration... Download » |
Ecosystem restoration in the mountains - policy briefpublicationMountains play a crucial role for both the highlands and lowlands, but are particularly vulnerable to climate change and human interventions. This policy brief focuses on ecosystem restoration in the mountains. It highlights the role of healthy mountain ecosystems and their services and provides a set of recommendations to help... Download » |
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