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.
![]() Elevating Mountains in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework 2.0publicationWith the Aichi Biodiversity Targets coming to an end in 2020, the world is preparing for a new set of ambitious biodiversity targets and goals to follow. This brief, prepared for the second Open-Ended Working Group meeting on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in February 2020, highlights how mountains are... Download » |
![]() Mainstreaming mountain biodiversitypeak to peakThis issue of Peak to Peak kicks off with a recap of the Informal Mountain Gathering, held on the sidelines of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework at FAO headquarters. This month's Members' Voices features Bibiana Vilá, a biologist in Argentina specializing in vicuñas. The newsletter... Download » |
Shaping the water-energy-food nexus for resilient mountain livelihoodspublicationThis new Issue Brief from the Center for Development and Environment explores whether a water-energy-food nexus approach offers a way to identify forward-looking options and policies to strengthen the livelihoods and resilience of people living in our changing mountains. The Issue Brief was funded by the Austrian Development Agency and... Download » |
![]() Nepal targets sustainable summits in 2020peak to peakThis issue of Peak to Peak highlights Nepal's 2020 "Visit Nepal Year", a large-scale sustainable tourism campaign. The newsletter also features the first Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) Initiative Producer Story about women producers of stingless bee honey in Bolivia. Peak to Peak February 2020 also features news about Participatory Guarantee... Download » |
![]() International Mountain Day 2019 Einaudi concert in Milanpeak to peakThe December 2019 issue of Peak to Peak highlights International Mountain Day, held every year on 11 December. The newsletter includes an announcement of the Einaudi concert to be held in Milan to celebrate this year's IMD. The newsletter continues with the Members' Voices section, this month featuring a college... Download » |
![]() WMO High Mountain Summit Call to Action: Avoiding the Impending Crisis in Mountain Weather, Climate, Snow, Ice and Water - Pathways to a Sustainable Global FuturepublicationThe participants at the High Mountain Summit 2019 following engaging presentations and inter- and trans-disciplinary dialogues, have committed to the goal that people living in mountains and those living downstream shall have open access to and use of ‘fit-for-purpose’ hydrological, meteorological and climate information services that address their need to... Download » |
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