Introduction

Mountain Issues
International Year of Mountains 2002

Mountains matter

There are many forces at work in mountains that influence the environment and the well-being of all people, not just those living in mountains but lowland people too. And these forces are all interconnected. To understand and appreciate mountains, we need to see them as organic systems profoundly linked to us and all the world's environments.

Mountains play a central role in collecting and storing the single most precious element for life on earth: fresh water. The rivers and streams that flow from mountain slopes are living bonds connecting mountain and lowland communities. More than half the world's population relies on the fresh water that flows from mountains and many different factors can damage or poison this vital source of life. The consequences are felt by everyone.

When mountain forest are cut unsustainably or too much land is cleared for farming, ranching or mining, the water that normally flows into mountain watersheds washes over barren slopes. The resulting erosion transforms the promise of life, which is contained in mountain soils, into the threat of deadly avalanches, landslides and flooding. As fertile soil and forests are lost, rivers begin to silt up and rare species of plants and animals can face extinction.

This environmental degradation often means increasing poverty and hunger for mountain people. As resources become scarce, conflicts over their use can arise. Many men, women and families have no choice but to migrate to lowland cities. Mountain communities disintegrate and entire cultures and languages disappear.

The consequences of global climate change, the growth in tourism, the demands of industry and agriculture in a period of increased globalization and the changing relationships between men and women are just some of the inter-related issues that need to be examined for a complete understanding of mountains.

Mountain biodiversity

Mountains might seem like impenetrable monoliths of rock but, in reality, they are among the world's greatest sources of biodiversity, providing refuge to untold varieties of plants and animals. Many of these species have disappeared from lowland areas, crowded out by human activities. Many others exist nowhere else but on mountains. All people, wherever they live, share the responsibility of protecting mountain biodiversity. But it is mountain people who are the primary guardians of these irreplaceable global assets. Over generations, they have acquired a unique and detailed understanding of mountain ecosystems. Until now, governments and international organizations have largely overlooked the knowledge that mountain people possess and the important role that mountains play in preserving much of the world's biodiversity.

Climate change

Human activities are profoundly affecting the world's climate, and mountains are a barometer of that effect. Each day, fossil fuel-burning technologies produce greenhouse gases that enhance the heat-trapping capability of the earth's atmosphere, gradually raising the planet's temperature. Because of their altitude, slope and orientation to the sun, mountain ecosystems are easily disrupted by variations in temperature. As the world heats up, mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, while rare plants and Animals struggle to survive over increasingly smaller ranges, and mountain people, already among the world's poorest citizens, face greater hardships. Understanding how climate change affects mountains is vital as governments and international organizations develop strategies to reverse current global warming trends.

Peace and conflict

Peace is essential to sustainable development. Most wars and armed conflicts take place in the world's highlands. They represent perhaps the most significant barriers to sustainable development in mountains. In 1999, 23 of the 27 major armed conflicts in the world were being fought in mountain regions.

Energy

Mountains are a key source of energy for everyone on the planet. They provide biomass fuels, such as wood, agricultural residue and animal dung, as well as non-renewable fossil fuels, such as coal and gas. Because of their physical features, mountains are also a rich source of renewable energy, such as hydro, solar and wind power. This largely untapped energy potential means that mountains have the power to help shift world consumption away from fossil fuels, which are a major cause of global warming. But many mountain communities continue to cook and heat with dwindling supplies of fuelwood and other non-renewable fuels, which are harmful to both health and the environment. Much of the clean, renewable energy derived from mountain areas is exported to lowland areas without benefiting mountain communities. Mountain people need a voice in the planning and development of energy policies and programmes that recognize their needs and the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems.

Mountain forests

Healthy mountain forests are crucial to the ecological health of the world. They protect watersheds that supply freshwater to more than half the world's people. They also harbour untold wildlife, provide food and fodder for mountain people and are important sources of timber and non-wood products. Yet in many parts of the world mountain forests are under threat as never before. Protecting these forests and making sure they are carefully managed is an important step towards sustainable mountain development.

Gender issues in mountain areas

Inaccessibility is perhaps the greatest influence shaping the lives of mountain inhabitants. And while mountain women face many of the same challenges as women throughout the developing world, the work of women in mountain regions is intensified by altitude, steep terrain and isolation.

Women are vital to the sustainability of mountain communities and play a prominent role in agricultural production, resource management and the household. Yet little information exists about the status of women and gender relations in mountain regions. Studies about women typically focus on those in lowland and urban environments, and are absent from most economic and social histories of mountain regions, which are largely written by men.

It is impossible to describe gender relations in all mountain areas. Every region has its own distinct cultural and environmental characteristics. This text relies on extensive research in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya.

Hunger and food insecurity

It is believed that there are as many as 800 million people chronically undernourished around the world. Although mountain people represent about 12 percent of the world's population, research underway at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) suggests that mountain communities are burdened by a disproportionately high number of malnourished people.

Many mountain communities are plagued by shortages of food and periods of hunger. In some regions, food insecurity is a consequence of chaos created by conflict and war. In other regions, however, periods of hunger arise as mountain farmers abandon traditional farming practices in favour of methods that are unsustainable on fragile mountain terrain. One way to reduce the number of hungry people living in mountain areas is to empower them to protect mountain ecosystems and to promote peace and stability in mountain regions.

Mining

The forces that shaped the world's mountains also made them rich in minerals and metals. Today, increasing demand and advances in technology have made even the most remote mountain areas accessible and profitable for mining. Mining can bring large benefits to mountain communities; but it can also be devastating to fragile mountain ecosystems, mountain cultures and the environments and communities both above and below. The challenge is to balance mining opportunities with environmental and social responsibility, and to ensure the protection of traditional mountain cultures.

Mountain-specific policy and law - a priority

Mountain-friendly policies and laws are vital to protect mountain ecosystems and support mountain people. Mountains may constitute about one-quarter of the world's landmass, but few countries have developed specific policies to address the needs of these unique regions and peoples.

Governments apply policies and laws created for lowland areas that do not take into account the fragility of mountain environments nor the singular needs, interests and priorities of mountain people. To support sustainable development in mountain areas, policies and laws need to be developed with the full participation of mountain people and be based on sound knowledge and research.

Poverty

Mountain people are among the world's poorest and most disadvantaged. Living far from the centres of commerce and power, they have little influence over the policies and decisions that influence their lives and contribute to the deterioration of their mountain homelands. With the exception of a few regions, such as the European Alps where mountain communities are politically represented in national governments, the voices of mountain people generally go unheard. As a result, many mountain people live on the economic fringe as subsistence farmers and herders, traders and day labourers, with no authority over those who exploit their mountain homes.

Tourism

Mountains are one of the world's most important tourist destinations. Their soaring peaks and beautiful landscapes are becoming increasingly attractive as a place of escape in a stressful, urbanized world. But tourism presents both opportunities and dangers for mountain regions. Tourism revenues have become a primary source of income for many mountain communities. Yet, the influx of visitors into mountain regions poses a threat to these unique and often pristine environments. Mountain people are the stewards of mountain ecosystems, so any decision to develop tourism must be made with their involvement and agreement. Most of all, tourism must be sustainable, planned to ensure that the beauty of mountains can be enjoyed by present and future generations.

Mountain waters

Mountains are often called nature's water towers. Because of their size and shape, they intercept air circulating around the globe and force it upwards where it condenses into clouds, which provide rain and snow. All the major rivers in the world - from the Rio Grande to the Nile - have their headwaters in mountains. As a consequence, more than half the world's people rely on mountain water to grow food, to produce electricity, to sustain industries and, most importantly, to drink. As populations increase and demand for clean water grows, the potential for conflict also rises. Careful management of mountain ecosystems and the water resources they support has never been more important to our long-term security and survival.