News

Africa puts a spotlight on mountains

26.01.2017

Governments and organizations throughout the African continent held events to honour International Mountain Day (IMD) 2016. The fifth edition of Algeria’s National Mountain Festival was held in Bejaia, Algeria, featuring a climbing championship, a hike in a mountain cedar forest, a guided visit of the National Museum and discussions of mountain cultures. The event was organized by the Association Assirem Gouraya, Algerian Ski and Mountain Sport Federation, the Conservation of Forests of Bejaia and the Directorate for Youth and Sports.

Recognizing the importance of traditional knowledge about ecosystems for preserving the natural environment and adapting to climate change, the Adaptation for Ecosystem Resilience in Africa Project (AFERIA) invited high school students in the Jimma Highlands (Ethiopia), Taita Hills (Kenya) and Kilimanjaro area (Tanzania) to write essays comparing the benefits of ecosystem services provided by mountains today to the past. AFERIA's goal for this initiative was to encourage youth to interact with older generations to gain insights and information about the benefits of ecosystem services from mountains.

Madagascar celebrated IMD and World Soil Day together at national level on 8 December. The event was an opportunity for stakeholders in Madagascar to further their understanding of the importance of mountains and soils to life.

In Morocco, Migration and Development, in collaboration with several national agencies, organized the second edition of its Rural University on 24-25 December in celebration of IMD. Under the theme "Territorial resources and adaptation to climate change in mountain areas in a post-COP22 context", the objective of the training was to develop and propose possible climate change adaptation solutions for rural and mountainous areas.

The Hotel Le Meridien N'fis Marrakech, with the support of several local organizations and institutions, also organized an event in Imlil, a small village in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Following a guided visit of the Toubkal National Park Ecomuseum and a hike, the Tiwizi Association Centre hosted a round-table discussion on “Mountain Cultures” where participants debated how to respect mountain environments without degrading them and how to share their cultural heritage.

The Platform of Civil Society Organizations for the Safeguard of Mountains in West Africa held a conference in Kara, Togo, on the theme “Impacts of traditional practices on the development of mountains”. Traditional Leaders, local decision-makers and NGO leaders gathered to discuss the key roles mountains plays in the ecological and socioeconomic development of Togo. Participants were informed of the upcoming West Africa Mountain Forum, to be held in October 2017.

In Uganda, Sam Kanyamibwa, Executive Director of the Albertine Rift Conservation Society, marked IMD by sharing a message about the importance of mountains. He noted that sustainable mountain development must recognize, integrate, strengthen and protect local mountain cultures and their traditional knowledge and practices. He also highlighted how African countries must work together to ensure the sustainable provision of mountains’ ecosystem services and to achieve Sustainable Mountain Development in Africa.

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See more pictures of IMD celebrations on the Mountain Partnership’s Flickr 

Photo: Platform of Civil Society Organizations for the Safeguard of Mountains in West Africa