This theme was selected to fully include
mountains in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
2021–2030, co-led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
and the UN Environment Programme. The Decade is an opportunity to draw together
political support, scientific research and financial resources to significantly
scale-up restoration and prevent further degradation of mountain ecosystems.
Mountains cover around 27 percent of the
Earth's land surface and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
As the water towers of the world, they supply freshwater to an estimated half
of humanity. Mountains are home to an extraordinary range of plants and
animals, and to many culturally diverse communities with different languages
and traditions. From climate regulation and water provisioning services, to
soil maintenance and conservation, mountains are key to our lives and
livelihoods.
Yet mountains are suffering from the impacts
of climate change and unsustainable development, escalating risks for people
and the planet. Climate change threatens the flow of water, and fast-rising
temperatures are forcing mountain species and the people that depend on these
ecosystems to adapt or migrate. Steep slopes mean the clearing of forest for
farming, settlements or infrastructure can cause soil erosion as well as the
loss of habitat. Erosion and pollution harm the quality of water flowing
downstream. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, up to
84 percent of endemic mountain species are at risk of extinction, while
populations of a range of other montane plant and animal species are projected
to decline and face extinction.
The recent biodiversity agreement of the 2022
United Nations Biodiversity Conference – which pledges to protect 30 percent of
the Earth's lands, oceans, coastal areas and inland waters by 2030 – provides
an impetus to revive and protect mountain landscapes.
The UN General Assembly also recently
proclaimed 2023–2027 "Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain
Regions" in its triennial resolution on
sustainable mountain development. Its objectives are to attract grant assistance
and investments for mountains, develop "green" economies and
technologies, create mechanisms to strengthen cooperation between mountainous
countries, and develop science and education in the field of sustainable
mountain development.
International Mountain Day 2023 is a chance
to increase awareness about the relevance of mountain ecosystems and call for
nature-based solutions, best practices and investments that build resilience,
reduce vulnerability and increase the ability of mountains to adapt to daily
threats and extreme climatic events.
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