| Title |
INTERNATIONAL
MOUNTAIN DAY |
|
Date-wise Events |
December 11 |
|
Description |
- It is observed every year to create awareness about the
importance of mountains to life, to highlight the
opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to
build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain
peoples and environments around the world.
- Mountains cover around 22 percent of the earth’s land
surface.
- Mountains play a critical role in moving the world
towards sustainable economic growth.
- Mountains represent about 13% of global population,
which is around 915 million (as of 2015); mountains provide
enormous means for sustenance and well being of not only
these but also billions of other people living downstream.
- In particular, mountains provide freshwater, energy and
food – resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming
decades.
- However, mountains also have a high incidence of poverty
and are extremely vulnerable to climate change,
deforestation, land degradation and natural disasters.
- In fact, 1 out of 3 mountain people in developing
countries is vulnerable to food insecurity and faces poverty
and isolation.
- The challenge is to identify new and sustainable
opportunities that can bring benefits to both highland and
lowland communities and help to eradicate poverty without
contributing to the degradation of fragile mountain
ecosystems.
- Worldwide demand for quality, high-value and traditional
foods and crafts produced in mountain areas, such as coffee,
cheese, herbs and spices, as well as handicrafts and
medicines is on the rise.
- Small-scale mountain agriculture cannot compete with the
volumes of lowland production, but it has the potential to
tap into niche markets – such as organic, fair trade, or
high-end quality – and fetch premium prices.
- Commitment and will to advance this cause were
strengthened during the International Year of Mountains in
2002, and mountains have gained an increasingly high profile
on agendas at all levels. qv
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