International Mountain Day
December 11, 2016
“International Mountain Day” (IMD), was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003. The UN General Assembly authorized the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as the lead agency. The FAO has developed information and communication material in all UN languages to celebrate IMD.
Mountain systems, covering about 27% of the world’s land surface and directly supporting 22% of the world’s people, are the water towers of the world, providing for the freshwater needs of more than half of humanity.
A large proportion of the world’s minority populations live in mountain areas. Mountain peoples have long held vital roles in the management of their ecosystems.
Almost every area that is jointly important for plants, amphibians, and endemic birds is located within mountains. Of the 20 plant species that supply 80% of the world’s food, six species (maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes, and apples) originated in mountains. A large portion of domestic mammals—sheep, goats, domestic yak, llama, and alpaca—originated in mountain regions.
However, mountains are vulnerable to a host of natural and anthropogenic threats, including seismic hazards, fire, climate change, land cover change and agricultural intensification, infrastructure development, and armed conflict. These pressures degrade mountain environments and affect the provision of ecosystem services and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them.
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 376 of the world’s 669 Biosphere Reserves, or 56 percent, contain mountain ecosystems.
2016 Theme — “Mountain Cultures: Celebrating diversity and strengthening identity”
Source: www.un.org / www.cbd.int
Image Credit: www.un.org / www.wallpapers-best.com
