Abstract
Abstract Mountain ecosystems and watersheds are essential for long-term sustainable global development and poverty alleviation and can make an important contribution to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Freshwater, rich biodiversity, and other natural resources provided by mountains are vital for the livelihood of billions of people. However, recent environmental, economic, and social developments such as climate change, increasing natural disasters, population growth, the expansion of commercial agriculture, and urbanization compromise the ability of mountain ecosystems and watersheds to provide essential environmental goods and services. Degradation and decreasing water flows seriously affect agricultural production and food security and threaten the supply of water to large urban centers in the lowlands, while water, energy, and food are likely to be the main scarcities in the coming decades. Watershed management and sustainable mountain development (SMD) are necessary and appropriate approache...
Highlights
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries
Mountains cover approximately one-quarter of the world’s surface and are home to 12 percent of the human population. They can be found on every continent and include impressive ranges such as the Himalayas, the Andes, the Alps and the Rockies, and less well-known highlands such as the Elburz Mountains in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Cairngorms in Scotland and the Fouta Djallon Highlands in West Africa
River Care receives payments from a hydropower company according to the amount of sediment reduction that range from USD 250/year for up to 10 percent reduction to USD 1 000/year for 30 percent or more
Summary
Because of the importance of mountains and the many services they provide, sustainable mountain development does regard mountain communities, but is a global concern. Mountains are complex and fragile ecosystems with marked topography, highly differentiated climatic conditions and vertical processes They are the water towers of the world – providing freshwater to at least half of the world’s people for domestic use, irrigation, industry and hydropower – and storehouses of global biodiversity. Class 5 elevation 1 000–1 500 m and slope * 5° or local elevation range (7 km radius) > 300 m According to this definition, the global mountain area is almost 40 million km, or roughly 27 percent of the earth’s surface. Mountain communities live far from the centres of commerce and power, so they have little influence on the policies and decisions that affect their lives, and their voices often go unheard Current global challenges such as climate change, economic developments and population growth exacerbate the hardships they face. Almost two-thirds (322) of all Biosphere Reserves and one-third (281) of all World Heritage Sites are fully or partially located in mountain areas
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