Where are half of the world’s biodivers
ity hotspots?
Where can one find thousands of varieties of fruit
s, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, animal breeds, fish, honey, in
sects and fungi?
Where are one-third of plant species found?
The answer: mountains!
Mountain biodiversity
is the theme of this year’s International Mountain Day, which is celebrate
d on 11 December.
International Mountain Day 2
020 is a day to celebrate the rich biodiversity in mountains as well as to
address the threats it faces.
Mountains loom large in some of th
e world’s most spectacular landscapes. Their unique topography, compressed
climatic zones and isolation have created the conditions for a wide spectru
m of life forms.
Biodiversity encompasses the variet y of ecosystems, species and genetic resources and mountains have many ende mic varieties. The differentiated topography in terms of altitude, slope an d exposure in mountains offers opportunities to grow a variety of high-valu e crops, horticulture, livestock and forest species.
For example, mountain pastoralists in Pakistan have a highly treasur
ed livestock genetic resource pool with special traits bred into animals, s
uch as disease resilience, which can help adaption to changing climate. Nea
rly 70 percent of mountain land is used for grazing and provides manure tha
t enhances soil fertility. Livestock not only produces food items such as m
ilk, butter and meat, but also valuable by-products such some of the most p
recious yarns, like cashmere wool.
However,
climate change, unsustainable farming practices, commercial mining, logging
and poaching all exact a heavy toll on mountain biodiversity. In addition,
land use and land cover change, and natural disasters, accelerate biodiver
sity loss and contribute to creating a fragile environment for mountain com
munities. Ecosystem degradation, loss of livelihoods and migration in mount
ains can lead to the abandonment of cultural practices and ancient traditio
ns that have sustained biodiversity for generations.
The sustainable management of mountain biodiversity has been increas
ingly recognized as a global priority. Sustainable Development Goal 15 targ
et four is dedicated to the conservation of mountains’ biodiversity in cons
ideration of its global relevance. Biodiversity in all ecosystems is in foc
us, as the United Nations has declared 2021 to 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosys
tem Restoration and governments prepare to negotiate the post-2020 global b
iodiversity framework for adoption this year at the 15th meeting of the Con
ference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (
CBD).
In the coming months, we will prepare co
mmunication materials in all six UN languages, which will be available on o
ur website. Hard copies will be available upon request.
While m
ountain biodiversity is the suggested theme for 2020, countries, communitie
s and organizations are welcome to celebrate International Mountain Day thr
ough a theme that is more relevant to their situation.
What can
you do?
• Raise awareness of mountains on 11 December by orga
nizing forums, hands-on activities, presentations, student debates, photo a
nd art competitions, hikes and events targeted to specific age groups – esp
ecially youth.
• Write to us about the International Mountain Day
event you are planning at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript en
abled to view it.
so we can publish it on the International Mountain Day website.
• J
oin the conversation on social media using the hashtag #MountainsMatter. Pa
ss on some of the key messages or share about the biodiversity in the mount
ains near you. Post a photo of your favourite mountain moment and share it
with us and your friends.
• Access our tool kit to help share your
story.
#MountainsMatter