UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres calls on mountain countries to take bold action on climate change mitigation and adaption
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Mountains and climate change
Human activities are profoundly affecting the world’s climate, and mountains are a sensitive indicator of that effect. Because of their altitude, slope and orientation to the sun, mountain ecosystems are easily disrupted by variations in climate. Many scientists believe that the changes occurring in mountain ecosystems may provide an early glimpse of what could come to pass in lowland environments.
As the world heats up, mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, while rare plants and animals struggle to survive over ever diminishing areas, and mountain peoples, already among the world’s poorest citizens, face even greater hardships.
Changes in the volume of mountain glaciers and in their seasonal melting patterns have an impact on water resources in many parts of the world. Changes in water availability due to climate change are taking place at a time when pressure on water resources for irrigation and food production, industrialization and urbanization is increasing.
Understanding how climate change affects mountains is vital as governments and international organizations develop strategies to reverse current global warming trends, elaborating treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, local community empowerment can be an essential step towards building climate change resilience in mountains.
Mountain Voice for change that mattersnewsOver 200 delegates from Indian eleven mountain States at Gangtok in Sikkim deliberated on mountain issues related to water, livelihoods and Communities & forests of the Indian Himalayan region at the Indian Mountain Initiative summit II, held from 25 to 26 May 2012 at Gangtok, Sikkim in India. In his...
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New Zealand's natural heritage threatened by 20 years of environmental inactionnewsLess than a month before world leaders meet at a major environmental summit, a WWF’s report warns that New Zealand is falling short on important commitments made at the Earth Summit 20 years ago on greenhouse gases, water quality, land and marine biodiversity, fisheries and education for sustainability. “While it...
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New South Asia Smart-Agriculture Learning Platform launchednewsSouth Asia is considered one of the most vulnerable regions to climate variability and change due to its high population, high exposure to climatic risks, chronic food insecurity, widespread poverty, and relatively limited adaptive capacity. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food...
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Trees Absorb Less Carbon in Warming World Than Experts Have AssumednewsA new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that while trees certainly help counteract rising temperatures, they are absorbing 3.4 percent less carbon than had been assumed in models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports. More CO2 in the atmosphere means...
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Mountain Pavilion to be presented by Peru during RIO+20blogWith the collaboration of strategic international partners, the Government of Peru is leading the organization of the Mountain Pavilion at Rio+20. The initiative aims to showcase achievements and progress towards sustainable development in mountain regions to representatives of 191 countries and civil society present at the conference. More...
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Study Finds Permafrost Thaw: Glacier Melt Releasing MethanenewsA study, led by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has found that methane from underground reservoirs is streaming from thawing permafrost and receding glaciers, contributing to the greenhouse gas load in the atmosphere. The study, published online in the journal Nature Geoscience, is the first to document leakage...
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