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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.

Enter the Mountain Future Award 2024

peak to peak

The October 2024 issue of Peak to Peak highlights the call for submissions to the Mountain Future Award 2024, which is in celebration of International Mountain Day. Individuals over 18 are invited to submit trasformative projects that emphasize the critical role of innovation, climate adaptation and youth engagement in driving...

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UN General Assembly declares 2025–2034 as Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences

news

In a decisive step toward addressing one of the most pressing climate issues, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted a resolution on 13 August 2024, designating 2025 to 2034 as the "Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences". This landmark decision aims to tackle the growing challenges posed by...

Mountain Partnership Secretariat: Annual report 2023

publication

The Mountain Partnership is the United Nations alliance dedicated to mountain peoples and environments. The Secretariat of the Mountain Partnership is hosted by FAO. The 2023 Annual Report of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) outlines the MPS' key achievements throughout the year, including supporting the observance of the Five Years...

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Call for case studies, publication on best practices for climate change solutions in mountains

news

The past year marked a turning point for the mountain agenda on climate change. Mountains were recognized in the COP 28 stocktake document, and the first-ever dialogue on mountains and climate change took place at SBSTA 60 in Bonn.

To build on this momentum, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat seeks your contributions...

IISD report on UNFCCC expert dialogue on mountains and climate change

peak to peak

The July 2024 issue of Peak to Peak reports on the first ever expert dialogue on mountains and climate change held within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Top news stories cover side events and youth experiences at the 60th session of the Subsidiary Body for...

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Enhancing community resilience to climate change in mountain watersheds

publication

The project Enhancing community resilience to climate change in mountain watersheds (GCP/GLO/042/JPN) is implemented by the Forestry Division (NFO) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and funded by the Forestry Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF). It aims to...