Disaster risk management
Mountains are hazardous places. Many mountain communities live under the threat of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions caused by shifting tectonic plates. Gravity pushing down on sloping land compounds the destructive power of storms and heavy rains, producing avalanches, landslides and floods. Population growth, climate change and unsustainable natural resource management practices are putting dangerous pressure on the mountain ecosystems and making mountain communities increasingly vulnerable to disasters.
Women, children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to disasters. And in many mountain areas, it is these members of the community that are looking after mountain homesteads, as the men move to lowland cities or abroad to earn a better income and support their family through remittances.
Forces from outside mountain communities, such as commercial logging interests and market-driven agricultural production, also put pressure on mountain ecosystems. All of this can lead to deforestation and environmental degradation. The loss of forest cover deprives mountain communities of a protective barrier against landslides and avalanches and further contributes to increased soil erosion and water run off.
To reduce the risks of disasters in mountain areas it is urgent to increase awareness and to develop integrated strategies and policies on disaster risk management at the national level. Policy-makers involved with disaster risk management cannot afford to neglect mountains, considering the high number of natural hazards in mountain areas and the high vulnerability of mountain communities.
CinemAmbiente Environmental Film FestivaleventSince its inception in 1998, the “CinemAmbiente” Environmental Film Festival has presented some of the best in environmental films. The festival seeks to address the myriad issues related to the environment, including pollution, consumerism, food, waste production and management, genetically modified organisms (GMO), sustainable development and climate change, with a...
|
Fourth World Landslide ForumeventThe fourth World Landslide Forum (WLF4), “Landslide research and risk reduction for advancing culture of living with natural hazards”, will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 29 May – 2 June 2017 under the honorary patronage of His Excellency Mr Borut Pahor, President of the Republic of Slovenia. Scientists, engineers, researchers...
|
Safer lives and livelihoods in mountainsnewsApproximately 915 million people live in mountain regions worldwide, and many of those mountain peoples are vulnerable and exposed to multiple natural hazards. Safe living space in mountains is limited and often close to hazard zones. Meanwhile, the frequency and magnitude of disasters is increasing, with contributing factors including population...
|
Vidas y medios de subsistencia más seguros en las montañas: cómo lograr que el Marco de Sendai para la Reducción del Riesgo de Desastres trabaje para el desarrollo sostenible de las regiones de montañapublicationMuchas personas en las montañas son vulnerables y están expuestas a múltiples amenazas naturales, dado que los espacios seguros para vivir son limitados y a menudo cercanos a las zonas de riesgo. La frecuencia y magnitud de los desastres está aumentando, con factores agravantes como el crecimiento poblacional, la urbanización,... Download » |
Safer lives and livelihoods in mountains: making the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction work for sustainable mountain developmentpublicationMany mountain peoples are vulnerable and exposed to multiple natural hazards. Safe living space is limited and often close to hazard zones. The frequency and magnitude of disasters is increasing, with contributing factors including population growth, urbanization, economic development, ecosystem degradation and climate change. There is growing competition for safe... Download » |
Latest newsletter from the Mount Kenya TrustnewsThe Mount Kenya Trust shares news of its recent events and initiatives in the latest edition of “Mountain Dispatches”, the Mount Kenya Trust’s quarterly newsletter. Covering news from January through March 2017, the newsletter opens with a message from Executive Officer Susie Weeks, who explains that despite drought...
|
Mountain Partnership
| Our work
| Focus areas
| Follow Us
Subscribe to Peak to Peak Newsletter
|