From Rio to Rio
The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro was a milestone for the political recognition of the unique services mountains provide to global sustainability. With the adoption of Chapter 13 on Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD), Agenda 21 demanded better stewardship of mountains and mountain regions for global well-being. Since then, an uncounted number of highly rewarding international and regional initiatives emerged, including the International Year of Mountains 2002 and the establishment of the Mountain Partnership, all contributing with success to enhancing knowledge and understanding of the issues and approaches of SMD.
Now, 20 years on, the “call for action” to enhance the stewardship of mountains is more relevant and pressing than ever before. While Mountain Services are vital to achieving green growth, there are growing threats to their sustainable supply. The effects of climate change are observed to be highest in mountains, jeopardizing the sustainability of mountain ecosystems and the socio-ecological stability of these landscapes. Consequently, policy makers looking to deliver on their promises for human well-being and natural prosperity (“the future we want”), need to make Mountain Services a key priority for action in a post Rio+20 world.
The Mountain Partnership at Rio+20
Rio+20 is truly a mega event; attracting over 50,000 participants and more than 130 Heads of State, it represents an unmatched opportunity to put mountains, their populations and the goods and services they provide at centre stage.
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| Together with key partners, the government of Peru, one of the first members of the Mountain Partnership, took the lead in the organization of a Mountain Pavilion at Rio+20. The Pavilion was conceived as a global initiative and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat mobilized members and mountain stakeholders from all regions of the world to showcase their work in contribution to sustainable development |
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| Third Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership
The Mountain Partnership held its Third Global Meeting in the Mountain Pavilion to identify new, forward-looking objectives to place mountains at the heart of the post-Rio scenario in a holistic, inclusive and effective manner. |
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The water-energy-food nexus: why mountains matter03.04.2012Together with the Government of Nepal and ICIMOD, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat has organized a side event on "The water-energy-food nexus: why mountains matter". The side event will... Read More » | Third Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership at Rio+20!03.04.2012The third Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership will take place in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on Monday, 18 June 2012, on the sidelines of the UNCSD Rio+20 summit. Read More » |
Meetings of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat in New York16.12.2011From 14 to 16 December 2011, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat participated in meetings in New York looking to forge a common understanding on including mountain development in the UN Conference... Read More » |
World Water Day 2012: Water, mountains' "blue gold"22.03.2012It’s our planet’s most precious resource and our cities our powered by it: it’s water! And water comes from mountains. It flows from the watersheds at higher altitudes creating life... Read More » |
Amendments to para 94 of the "Zero Draft" now online!14.02.2012Recognizing the importance of civil society, the Rio+20 Bureau’s co-chair Ambassador Kim invited Major Groups to submit their amendments to the Rio+20 "Zero draft" outcome at the Bureau meeting with... Read More » | Zero-draft for Rio+20 – paragraph n. 94 on mountains10.01.2012The zero-draft of the outcome document for Rio+20 Conference is now online with a paragraph (n. 94) dedicated to mountains. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) Conference will... Read More » |
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 » |
Why the Andes matterpublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
The Andes, covering 33% of the area of the Andean countries, are vital for the livelihoods of the majority of the region’s population and the countries’ economies. However, increasing pressure, fuelled by growing population numbers, changes in land use, unsustainable exploitation of... Download » |
Why mountains matter for Meso AmericapublicationPolicy brief presented at Rio+20
Mountains in Meso America cover 25.2% of the region and hold a remarkable 12% of the world’s biodiversity on only about 2% of the earth’s land surface. A total of 86 indigenous ethnic groups occupy 54.2% of the mountain territories. The greatest... Download » |
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