Mountains are home to half of the world’s biodiversity. The world celebrates International Mountain Day Climate and Environment
For centuries, mountain communities have sought and found solutions to adapt to harsh environmental conditions and to protect and restore biodiversity. In 2024, the theme of International Mountain Day, celebrated on December 11, is dedicated to the potential and needs of mountain people. It covers three aspects – innovation, adaptation and youth participation.
International Mountain Day was established in 1992 with the adoption of Agenda 21 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, whose Chapter 13, entitled “Management of Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development”, became a milestone in the history of mountain development.
Innovation, Adaptation, Youth Participation
Innovation is needed to address the complex challenges facing mountain areas. This includes both technological advances and creative approaches to problem solving.
Climate change has direct impacts on mountains, and adaptation is becoming a prerequisite for increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability. Adaptation strategies include both ecosystem-specific approaches to disaster risk reduction and the use of indigenous knowledge.
Youth participation is essential to ensure the sustainability of mountain solutions in the long term. In 2024, the organizers of the International Day call for ensuring that youth have decent work, accessible training, and entrepreneurship opportunities that contribute to the sustainable use of mountain resources.
Why we celebrate International Mountain Day?
Mountains are a natural resource that must be protected. 15 percent of the world’s population lives in mountainous areas. Half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are located in the mountains. The well-being of about half of the world’s population depends on the water, food, and energy resources contained in mountain ranges.
Of the 20 plant species that provide 80 percent of the world’s food, six species originated and evolved in the mountains: corn, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes, and apples.
Threats to Mountain Ecosystems?
Unfortunately, mountains are in danger from climate change, land degradation, overexploitation, and natural disasters. Mountain ecosystems are under threat from pollution, with microplastics found even on the summit of Everest.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, up to 84 percent of endemic mountain species are now at risk of extinction.
As the climate warms further, mountain people – some of the poorest in the world – face even greater challenges in their struggle to survive. Rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate, affecting freshwater supplies for millions of people.
Progressive land degradation affects the lives of more than 311 million people living in mountain areas of developing countries, with 178 million of them vulnerable to food insecurity.