Renewable energy

 

Mountains play as key role in providing renewable energy, especially through hydropower, solar power, wind power and biogas for downstream cities and remote mountain communities.

Hydropower currently provides around a fifth of all electricity worldwide, and some countries rely almost exclusively on mountain regions for hydropower generation In Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Peru, at least 95 percent of hydropower is generated in mountain regions.

Solar power can also be efficiently produced in mountains and other cold regions - contrary to popular belief. The Himalayas and Tropical Andes are particularly promising locations for the development of solar energy, where installations could produce approximately 20 percent more energy than they could at sea level. In Nepal, for example, almost all remote airports and telecommunication facilities are powered by solar energy; solar cookers are widely used in the mountain regions of China and India.

Wind power is a vast, but largely untapped source of potential sustainable energy in mountains. Even at lower elevations, the terrain and topography of mountains can create wind corridors with high wind speeds that are ideally suited for wind turbine development.

Sustainable energy brings benefits to human health, the mountain environment and global climate. Reduced dependency on firewood, for example, can lead to fewer respiratory diseases, improved water and soil conservation, and less black carbon (soot) in the atmosphere – one of the most widespread short-lived climate pollutants.  However, many sustainable energy sources in mountains remain unused or underutilized.

Mountain Research and Development issue online

Mountain Research and Development issue online

news

The articles in this issue of Mountain Research and Development derive from papers presented at the 2015 Perth III “Mountains of Our Future Earth” conference and align themselves with research themes of Future Earth. The papers feature a Canadian software tool to compare mountain photos for environmental monitoring,...

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FAO launches Mountain Cultures Photo Contest

FAO launches Mountain Cultures Photo Contest

peak to peak

Issue 99 – Month 12 – Year 2016

The December issue of Peak to Peak announces the launch of the Mountain Cultures Photo Contest in celebration of International Mountain Day 2016, “Mountain Cultures: celebrating diversity and strengthening identity”. The newsletter continues with stories about 20 families living in...

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Mountains and the 2030 Agenda – COP22

Mountains and the 2030 Agenda – COP22

news

Organized within the framework of the Mountain Partnership, the official side event “Mapping and understanding mountains to achieve the 2030 Agenda” was held on 11 November 2016 at the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP22). The session focused on assessing...

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Mountains to be featured at UNFCCC COP22

Mountains to be featured at UNFCCC COP22

peak to peak

Issue 98 – Month 11 – Year 2016

The November issue of Peak to Peak presents a complete list of mountain-related events, exhibits and fora taking place during the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The...

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Fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

Fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership

event

The Fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership (MP) was to take place 21-22 October 2016 in Mbale, Uganda, but has been postponed to 2017. The new date and venue are to be determined.

This Global Meeting will provide members with an opportunity to discuss delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals,...

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Mountain Research and Development issue online

Mountain Research and Development issue online

news

The newest issue of Mountain Research and Development is now available online. Papers in this issue explore a broad range of topics related to sustainable development in mountains worldwide. They analyse the potential for photovoltaic power generation in Tajikistan, the socioeconomic contributions of highlander entrepreneurs in Switzerland, large-cardamom production in the...

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