International Mountain Day 2019 : Mountains provide freshwater, energy, food , recreation
Travel Biz News —
International Mountain Day is being observed this year all over the world with focus on sustainable mountain development.
‘Mountains matter for Youth’ is the theme of this year’s International Mountain Day to be celebrated on 11 December, according to UN Food and Agricultural Organization ( FAO ).
“Young people are active agents of change and the future leaders of tomorrow. They are custodians of mountains and of their natural resources, which are being threatened by climate change.”
“The 2019 International Mountain Day’s theme is a great opportunity for young generations to take the lead and request that mountains and mountain peoples become central in the national and international development agendas, receive more attention, investments and tailored research. The day will also be an occasion to educate children about the role that mountains play in supporting billions up and downstream – by providing freshwater, clean energy, food and recreation,” The FAO said in a statement.
Covering around 27 percent of the earth’s land surface, mountains play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth .
Mountains not only provide sustenance and well-being to 1.1 billion mountain people around the world but also indirectly benefit billions more living downstream.
Similarly, mountains are home to 15 percent of the world’s population. Ninety percent of the world’s mountain dwellers live in developing countries, where a vast majority live below the poverty line and 1 out of 2 faces the threat of food insecurity.
Mountains are places of tourism and cultural trails. Mountain tourism accounts for about 15–20 percent the global tourism industry.
Indigenous and local populations in mountains have unique and valuable local knowledge, traditions and cultural practices that can contribute to effective land management strategies.
Likewise, mountains provide 60-80 percent of the world’s freshwater – without which sustainable development that aims to eliminate poverty and hunger would not be possible.
Fresh water from mountains is fundamental for achieving global food security, as it is used by farmers to irrigate crops in many lowland agricultural regions.
Some of the world’s largest cities, including New York, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Tokyo and Melbourne, are dependent on freshwater from mountains, according to FAO.
December 9 , 2019
Image credit – FAO
