Mountains
Covering around 27 percent of the earth's land surface, mountains play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth
Mountains not only provide sustenance and well-being to 1.1 billion mountain people around the world but also indirectly benefit billions more living downstream.
Mountains provide freshwater, energy and food - resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades.
Mountain peoples
Mountains are home to 15 percent of the world’s population.
Ninety percent of the world’s mountain dwellers live in developing countries, where a vast majority live below the poverty line and 1 out of 2 faces the threat of food insecurity.
Mountains are places of tourism and cultural trails. Mountain tourism accounts for about 15–20 percent the global tourism industry.
Indigenous and local populations in mountains have unique and valuable local knowledge, traditions and cultural practices that can contribute to effective land management strategies.