In contrast to other regions, African mountains harbour the continent's most fertile soils, allowing high yield agriculture to thrive and contributing significantly to food security in the region. Millions of farmers are employed in the production of globally consumed cash crops like coffee and tea, and population density in and around mountains in Sub-Saharan Africa is high - and on the rise.

In a continent dominated by arid and semi-arid areas, African mountains function as water towers for millions of people. Low-lying arid areas in countries such as Sudan and Namibia receive water from large rivers with mountain sources, while in East Africa, Mount Kenya is the only source of freshwater for more than seven million people. African mountains house many ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, drylands, rivers and wetlands, and are home to unique biodiversity including the critically endangered mountain gorillas of Central Africa and Uganda.

With global warming, high population growth and intensive land-use threatening Africa’s mountains, urgent policy action is needed to create the enabling conditions for promoting sustainable development and investment in these mountain areas.