Mountains

Mountain regions represent about one quarter of the Earth's terrestrial surface, and are home to approximately 25% of the global population. Mountains are crucial for life. They offer a wealth of ecosystem functions and services (freshwater, biodiversity, forest products, minerals, habitats for threatened species), and landscapes and cultures of exceptional value.

Yet, such wealth is fragile. Threatened by global and climate change, mountain regions face species extinction, natural hazards (erosion and floods), and changing land use modifying socio-economic conditions and livelihoods of people. UNESCO-MAB assesses the impacts of global and climate change on fragile mountain ecosystems using mountain biosphere reserve as study and monitoring sites, notably through:

• Project GLOCHAMORE (Global Change in Mountain Regions) and the GLOCHAMORE Research Strategy
• Project GLOCHAMOST (Global and Climate Change in Mountain Sites - Coping Strategies for Mountain Biosphere Reserves)
• International conferences and workshops on global and climate change in mountains
• Two UNESCO Chairs in Sustainable Mountain Development (Kyrgyzstan; United Kingdom)
• Publications on mountain related issues (see below)

 

Related links:

• Official documents
• Publications

         

 

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Global Change in Mountain Regions (GLOCHAMORE)
A world-wide network to study global change processes in mountains has been set up since October 2003. Based on the experience of over 20 mountain biosphere reserve managers and the expertise of over 300 scientists from all continents, a Research Strategy has been worked out to:

• detect signals of global change in mountains
• identify the consequences of global change
• suggest responses at local and regional scales

Funded by the European Commission and sponsored by UNESCO-MAB in collaboration with the Mountain Research Initiative and the University of Vienna (Austria), the GLOCHAMORE Project worked on the main axes of causality that trigger global and climate change in mountain biosphere reserves.

As a result of five international GLOCHAMORE workshops and one Open Science Conference held in Perth (Scotland, United Kingdom, 2-6 October 2005), the GLOCHAMORE Research Strategy was elaborated. It recommends specific actions to detect and monitor signals of global and climate change in mountain biosphere reserves the world over.

At the International Open Science Conference in Perth, participants adopted the Perth Declaration expressing the interest of scientists and biosphere reserve managers to collaborate on issues related to global and climate change in mountains.

Participating scientists and managers of the following mountain biosphere reserves (BRs):

• Austria: Gossenkölle See BR
• Austria: Gurgler Kamm BR
• Australia: Kosciusko BR
• Canada: Mount Arrowsmith BR
• Canada: Waterton BR
• Chile: Araucarias BR
• China: Changbaishan BR
• Colombia: Cinturon Andino BR
• Germany: Berchtesgaden Alps BR
• India: Nanda Devi BR
• Kenya: Mount Kenya BR
• Kyrgyzstan: Issyk-Kul BR
• Mongolia: Uvs Nuur Basin BR
• Morocco: Oasis du Sud BR
• Peru: Huascaran BR
• Russian Federation: Katunskiy BR
• Russian Federation: Sikhote-Alinskiy BR
• Russian Federation: Teberdinskiy BR
• South Africa: Kruger to Canyons BR
• Spain: Sierra Nevada BR
• Switzerland: Entlebuch BR
• Switzerland: Swiss National Park BR
• USA: Denali BR
• USA: Glacier BR
• USA: Niwot Ridge BR

Workshop Proceedings:

• Global Change in Mountain Biosphere Reserves. Proceedings of the International Launching Workshop held in Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve (Switzerland, 10-13 November 2003).
• Global Environmental and Social Monitoring. Proceedings of the 1st International Thematic Workshop held in Vienna (Austria, 9-11 May 2004).
• Global Change Impacts in Mountain Biosphere Reserves. Proceedings of the 2nd Thematic Workshop (held in Gran Sasso National Park, Italy, 29 Nov.-2 Dec. 2004) and the 3rd Thematic Workshop (held in Sierra Nevada Biosphere Reserve, Spain, 14-17 March 2005).

UNESCO continues the work started under the GLOCHAMORE Project in the follow-up project GLOCHAMOST.

Development of Cultural and Eco-tourism in the Mountainous Regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas
The spectacular mountainous regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas, now attract growing numbers of tourists attracted by the unique cultures and natural beauty of these isolated areas. The challenge of this project is to ensure that increased tourism is well-managed and that its benefits are shared by all. More

International Conference on Global Change and the World’s Mountains@ 22-09-2010 7:00 am

New UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Mountain Development 25-03-2009 4:15 pm UNESCO SC

"All glaciers are already affected by climate change" - Martin Price 17-11-2008 10:00 am UNESCO

Global Change in Mountain Regions@ 13-11-2008 5:00 pm UNESCO SC

International Year of Mountains 04-01-2002 8:31 am