Water
Each day, one of every two people on the planet quenches his thirst with water that originates in mountains. And as the world population swells to an estimated 9.6 billion by 2050, the worldwide demand for freshwater will continue to soar.
More than half of humanity relies on mountain freshwater for everyday life. The ten largest rivers originating in the Hindu Kush Himalayas alone supply water to over 1.35 billion people. Some of the world’s largest cities, including New York, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Tokyo and Melbourne, are dependent on freshwater from mountains.
Climate change is already causing more than 600 glaciers to disappear, resulting in springs and rivers drying up. Greater frequency of extreme weather events, droughts and floods, including flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), are also expected to increase in mountains, causing imbalance between current water supply and demand.
Given the importance of mountain water resources worldwide, the careful management of mountain water resources is a global priority. Water management practices need to be adapted to different climatic zones, using locally adapted soil and water management techniques. Most importantly, watershed management must take into account the needs of all those who depend on mountain water, including those who have the greatest stake in preserving healthy mountain ecosystems – people who live in mountain areas themselves, who are often marginalized from the decision-making processes.
Sink or Swim: Documentary Awards - Call for EntriesnewsIn collaboration with the Goethe Institute, CGIAR, SIDA, and the Thai Film Foundation, IUCN is organizing the Southeast Asian Students Documentary Awards, a competition to encourage the art of documentary film making in the Asia region as a platform to engage on pressing social and environmental issues. The 2012 call...
|
Why the Central Asian mountains matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
The Central Asian mountains provide an astonishing array of essential ecosystem goods and services not only to mountain inhabitants but also to people in the lowlands and around the globe. These goods and services include forest products and land for food production;... Download » |
Why the Hindu Kush Himalaya matterspublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
As the ‘water tower of Asia’, the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountains are the source of 10 major river systems and provide vital ecosystem goods and services to more than 1.4 billion people. The region includes four global biodiversity hotspots, 488 protected... Download » |
Why mountains of the Southeast Asia and Pacific region matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
Mountains of the Southeast Asia and Pacific (SEAP) region spread across mainland Asia and the island/archipelagic states in the Pacific Ocean. These countries host one of the world’s highest and most severely threatened biodiversity and gene pools. Many of the region’s indigenous... Download » |
Why mountains matter in global sustainable developmentpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
Mountains provide vital goods and services for the benefit of all humankind, for supporting sustainable development at a global level, and for moving the world towards a greener economy. But provision of these goods and services is at risk. The global... Download » |
Why mountains matter for North AmericapublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
North America’s mountains are a primary source of fresh water. Other natural resources, such as coal and natural gas, are pillars of North American energy economies. The recreation and tourism industry – the lifeblood of many mountain communities – contributes significant revenues... Download » |
Mountain Partnership
| Our work
| Focus areas
| Follow Us
Subscribe to Peak to Peak Newsletter
|