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Mountains connect climate, biodiversity and land action, but rising temperatures, glacier retreat and land degradation are increasing risks to ecosystems, water resources and livelihoods, both upstream and downstream.
As a cross-cutting priority across the Rio Conventions, mountains deserve particular attention given their importance for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management, as well as their influence on downstream water availability, agriculture and food security.
Through advocacy, knowledge-sharing and partnerships, the Mountain Partnership supports its members in bringing mountain priorities into policy discussions, financing and action under the three Rio Conventions.
Under the UNFCCC, the Mountain Partnership advocates for mountains to be included in policy discussion, finance and commitments on the ground. Despite their importance, mountains are often neglected.
Priority entry points include:
National planning and reporting
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): NDCs provide opportunities for countries to include mountain-related mitigation and adaptation measures.
- National Adaptation Plans (NAPs): NAPs provides opportunities to address mountain vulnerabilities and locally led solutions.
- Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs): BTRs allow countries to report mountain risks, results and support needs.
NAP Expo 2026 closes as Mountain Partnership calls for mountain-inclusive climate action
Global processes
- Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA): The GGA indicators provide a reference for assessing resilience and adaptation progress in mountain regions.
- Global Stocktake (GST): The Global Stocktake cycle provides a structured multi-year opportunity to mainstream mountain priorities within UNFCCC workstreams; and national planning and reporting processes that feed into the GST. The first GST referred to mountains five times. The GST2 begins in November 2026.
Climate finance
The Adaptation Fund (AF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) work together under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement architecture to strengthen complementarity, improve access to climate finance and scale up effective projects. The Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) complements these mechanisms by providing financial support to particularly vulnerable countries responding to economic and non-economic losses and damage caused by climate change.
Dialogues
- 2024 Expert Dialogue on Mountains and Climate Change - summary report
- 2026 Expert Dialogue on Mountains and Climate Change - summary report
MP and the UNFCCC
Mountain Partnership activities connect governments, Members, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and local communities with mountain-related climate discussions.
2015: COP21, Mountain events at climate change summit
2016: COP22, Mountains to be featured at UNFCCC COP22
2017: COP23, Building a framework for action
2022: COP27, Mountain Partnership at COP27
2023: COP28, Mountains in the Global Stocktake
2024: First UNFCCC Expert Dialogue on Mountains and Climate Change
2024: COP29, Mountains highlighted at the UNFCCC COP29
2025: Global Mountain Dialogue for Sustainable Development, Bishkek
2025: Sagarmatha Sambaad, Kathmandu
2025: High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, Dushanbe
2025: Mountain Partnership engagement at SB62
2025: COP30, Mandate for the 2026 mountain dialogue
2026: Mountains and climate change at SB64
2026: COP31, Mountain events
Publications
2023: Mountains in National Adaptation Plans – A short analysis
2024: Human mobility in mountain areas in a changing climate
2024: Promoting innovation and tradition: Solutions for climate change adaptation in mountains
2025: Glaciers and mountains: The food, water security and livelihoods nexus
Under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Mountain Partnership advocates for mountain ecosystems and communities to be reflected in biodiversity policies, finance and action on the ground.
Priority entry points include:
National planning and reporting
- National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs): NBSAPs provide opportunities for countries to include mountain biodiversity, restoration and sustainable use in national targets and actions.
Global frameworks
- Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity: The CBD’s dedicated mountain programme addresses conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing through direct action, enabling policies, research, monitoring and cooperation.
- Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF): The framework’s goals and targets provide opportunities to advance mountain ecosystem conservation, restoration, connectivity and sustainable agriculture.
- Yerevan Platform on Mountain and Related Freshwater Ecosystems: Launched at COP17, the Platform aims to support knowledge exchange, technical cooperation and the integration of mountain and freshwater priorities into national biodiversity strategies.
Finance
- Biodiversity finance: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) operates the CBD’s Financial Mechanism and manages the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), helping countries implement global biodiversity goals. The Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) and the Cali Fund receive contributions from businesses using genetic data to support biodiversity conservation.
Events and milestones
2004: COP7, Adoption of the Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity
2022: COP15, Adoption of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
2024: COP16, Andean Mountain Initiative and regional mountain cooperation
2026: COP17, Mountain Ecosystems Day and launch of the Yerevan Platform
Publications
2010: Mountain biodiversity and global change
2023: Restoring mountain ecosystems: Challenges, case studies and recommendations for implementing the UN Decade Principles for Mountain Ecosystem Restoration
Under the UNCCD, the Mountain Partnership advocates for land restoration, drought resilience and sustainable land management that protect mountain ecosystems, support local livelihoods and safeguard downstream water security.
Priority entry points include:
National planning and reporting
- National Action Programmes: National programmes provide opportunities for countries to include mountain landscapes, communities and restoration priorities in UNCCD implementation.
- Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets: Voluntary national targets provide opportunities to address degradation of mountain soils, watersheds and rangelands.
- Drought policies and plans: National drought planning can address mountain water resources, ecosystem management and resilience in mountain and downstream communities.
- National reports: Countries can report land degradation, drought impacts, implementation progress and support needs through the UNCCD’s reporting system.
Global processes and finance
- UNCCD Strategic Framework: The framework connects land restoration, drought resilience and improved livelihoods, providing entry points for mountain priorities.
- Restoration finance: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) finances sustainable land management through its Land Degradation Focal Area, while the UNCCD’s Global Mechanism helps countries mobilize resources and develop investment opportunities.
Events
2019: Side event at Conference of the Parties 14 to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14)
2024: COP16, Mountains in dryland ecosystems
2026: COP17, Pastoralists, rangelands and fragile ecosystems
Publications
2011: Highlands and drylands: Mountains, a source of resilience in arid regions
2019: Vulnerability to food insecurity in mountain regions: Land degradation and other stressors
2020: Vulnerability of mountain peoples to food insecurity: Updated data and analysis of drivers
2026: Mountain pastoralists and rangelands: Resilience, livelihoods and sustainability (forthcoming)
Declarations
Kathmandu Declaration
Ulaanbaatar Declaration
