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.
Working with mountain communities could help water systems adapt to climatenewsIn a new paper, Imperial College London researchers outline how integrated water strategies that include scientists working directly with mountain communities on the ground could help them drive their own climate adaptation and boost water security. Mountains are the water towers of the world, but this water source is under...
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Season 2 of “Voices from the Roof of the World” out nownewsAlarms are ringing throughout the world: the most ruinous floods in Pakistan's history, the worst drought in a generation in East Africa, Everest base camp turned from a frigid outpost to a lakeside camp. These are all signs that climate change is accelerating. Ian Fry, the UN Special Rapporteur on...
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Looking beyond glaciers to understand mountain water securitypublicationChanges in the mountain cryosphere impact on water security of downstream societies and resilience of water-dependent ecosystems and their services. However, assessing mountain water security still requires better understanding of the complex interaction between glacial meltwater and coupled human-natural systems. In this context, this article calls for a refocusing from glacio-hydrological monitoring and modelling... Download » |
Keeping our mountains plastic waste free - policy briefpublicationMountain areas host both sprawling cities and rural settlements, providing a home for about 15 per cent of the global population. Linked to global supply chains and as a consequence of population growth, overconsumption and tourism, the generation of waste – especially plastic waste – is surging across mountains. This... Download » |
United Nations General Assembly Report: Sustainable mountain development (2022)publicationReport of the Secretary-General on Sustainable Mountain Development Download » |
Mountain Partnership key speakers at Italy’s Expo Dubai tourism forumpeak to peakThe March 2022 issue of Peak to Peak highlights the Mountain Partnership's participation in Italy's tourism forum at Expo 2020 Dubai. It furthermore shares the link to download the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022 logos. Top news stories cover two Mountain Partnership members who recently received international recognition... Download » |
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