This day probably passed by without you even knowing about it…..but Remember, "Mountains: Key to a Sustainable Future".
Every year,11 December is marked as International Mountain Day, celebrated around the world. The day is an ode to the world’s fascinating landscapes. Each mountain is unique in its own way, from the snow-covered Himalayas to the lush green mountains, and is home to different animals and plants.
International Mountain Day was held in 1992, at a time when the UN Conference on the Environment and Development adopted Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development.” The increased attention towards the importance of mountains led the United Nations General Assembly to declare 2002 as the United Nations International Year of Mountains.
From 2003 onwards, 11 December was declared "International Mountain Day" by the UN General Assembly. FAO is a coordinating agency to prepare for and organize this celebration and is mandated to manage it on a global level. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the FAO Forestry Department’s Team for Water and Mountains is responsible for organizing this international process.
The theme of International Day of Mountains 2022 "Women move mountains"
"A chance to raise awareness about the value of mountains for human survival, to highlight the potential and challenges in mountain development, and to foster collaborations that will bring positive change to the world's mountains and highlands."
Women in mountain communities have an essential role in environmental protection. social and economic growth. For the most part, they are the go-to people for managing mountain resources, protecting biodiversity, preserving local culture, and administering traditional medicine. Lack of investment in mountain agriculture and rural development, combined with rising temperatures, has prompted many men to leave their homes in search of better economic opportunities elsewhere. This has resulted in women taking on roles traditionally held by men, yet they continue to be marginalized in the mountains due to their lack of political agency and economic opportunity.
As we approach International Mountain Day 2022, it is important to bring attention to the need to increase the political and economic agency of mountain women. The Day can promote gender equality and help improve social justice, livelihoods, and resilience through the dissemination of mountain-related best practices, opportunities, and capacity building. Despite the recommended theme of sustainable mountain tourism for 2021, countries, communities, and organizations are free to choose a theme that is more relevant to them. Unfortunately, climate change and overexploitation risk mountains. With the global atmosphere continuing to warm the mountains, in which some of the weakest in the world, are faced with much greater survival challenges. Mountain glaciers are now shrinking at an unparalleled rate, disrupting the supply of freshwater to millions of people downstream due to increasing temperatures. Organize a community event or join the debate on social media with the hashtag #MountainsMatter to mark this International Day 2021. Share some of the most important information, or a picture of your favourite peak, with your friends and family.
INTERACTION OF HUMANS AND MOUNTAINS :
Mountain people are the natural stewards of crucial mountain ecosystems, with thousands of years of traditional knowledge, the key roles that these communities play should not be overlooked or underestimated. Around the world, mountain communities have become more and more marginalized and impoverished as mountain biodiversity and ecosystems have been depleted. This is a great loss for the world. At present mountain, communities are often marginalized and considered in a limited regional context. This attitude, if continued, will prove to be detrimental to both them and humanity at large.
It is important to note that generally, it has not been the grass-root mountain communities that have caused the majority of the environmental degradation that has taken place throughout mountain regions worldwide. It has always been in the interest of these communities to protect the natural resources, which supported their livelihoods. However, now that the natural resources within these regions have been so desperately depleted, these communities need to be supported to conserve and restore the crucial mountain biodiversity. At present, the lives of mountain communities are threatened. Massive flooding and erosion problems, as were experienced in Uttarakhand. India in June 2013 is an example of present threats being experienced by mountain communities
Mountain people are among the few groups of people capable of living and working in mountain regions with their extreme climates and environmental conditions. Their success in achieving this will be pivotal to global success regarding freshwater security and changing climates. From this it becomes clear that supporting mountain communities is not simply an act of charity, it is a means by which the whole global community can safeguard their own long-term interests. These communities need our help and we need theirs. We need their help to secure the global water cycle. The health of the global water cycle affects everyone and all ecosystems. If it is to be secured and humanity along with mass biodiversity is going to continue and evolve on Earth, we need to work together in a truly supportive and respectful manner.
How to Celebrate International Mountain Day
There are countless ways by which we can help in sustaining and maintain the mountains. Simple things like buying more mountain products, such as medicinal plants, mineral water, and olive oil, will help to keep mountains alive.
Applying for partnerships with organizations that help conserve mountains is a great idea, as it will allow you to directly do something for preserving mountains. To celebrate International Mountain Day, one can:
1. Write to the FAO about any events that you personally are planning to host with your friends. FAO will then publish your experiences and any photographs on its website.
2. Participate on social media by using #MountainsMatter. You can upload pictures of mountains near you and even share some interesting facts about them.
3. Raise awareness in your local communities on December 11 by hosting socially distanced events. Organizing virtual presentations or art competitions is a good idea to gain the interest of younger kids and adults alike.
4. Engage in development projects rewarding mountain people for their stewardship services.
The Types of mountains and varieties of wildlife found there.
● Mountain Formations describe the geological processes that lead to the formation of different types of mountains. Through processes of faulting, folding, and volcanic activity different mountain formations are created.
How many types of mountains are there in the World?
Mountain formations are classified under the following categories
1. Volcanic Mountains: When tectonic plates move about, volcanoes are formed, and when volcanoes erupt, mountains are formed in turn. A shield volcano has a gently sloping cone due to the low viscosity of the emitted material, primarily basalt. Mauna Loa is the classic example, with a slope of 4°-6°. Examples of a stratovolcano are Vesuvius and Mount Fuji, while a shield volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
WILDLIFE FOUND: Lesser flamingo (Phoenicoparrus minor), Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus), Vampire ground finch (Geospiza septentrionalis)
2. Fold Mountains: Fold mountains are created where two or more of Earth’s tectonic plates are pushed together. At these colliding, compressing boundaries, rocks and debris are warped and folded into rocky outcrops, hills, mountains, and entire mountain ranges.
WILDLIFE FOUND: Andean candor (the largest bird of the world with wing-span of 3.7 metres), Andean-geese, dall-sheep, golden-eagle, lammergeyer or bearded-vulture, mountain-goat, mountain-gorilla, mountain-lion, pandas, snow-leopard, yaks.
3. Block Mountains: The raising of a fault block leads to the formation of block mountains. Higher blocks are called horsts and troughs are known as grabens. When the surface is spread apart, it leads to tensional forces coming into place when these tension forces split apart; it causes the centre block to drop down. An example of this is the Sierra Nevada Range in the United States.
WILDLIFE FOUND: wild cats, wild boars, foxes, badgers, beech martens, genets, field mice and garden dormice
4. Residual mountains: Through erosion of an elevated area residual mountains are formed. Alternatively, such formations are also known as mountains of denudation. The Scottish Highlands, Scandanavian Mountains, and the landmass of the Balkan Peninsula are examples of Residual Mountains and Girnar hills, Nilgiri hills, and Sierra of Spain
WILDLIFE FOUND: Nilgiri Langur (Trachypithecus johnii ) ,Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius )
5. Dome mountains: Dome mountains are formed when large globs of magma float up from beneath the crust and push up surface rocks, creating a rounded swelling in the crust. Once the magma cools, it creates a large dome of harder rock under the surface, which erosion sometimes reveals.
WILDLIFE FOUND: Eagles, hawks, loons, swans and a variety of ducks, Elk and mule deer are seasonal.
THREATS
Mountains are generally considered to be remote areas, as many are difficult to travel to, as roads are scarce and accessibility is limited due to weather conditions. We imagine them little impacted by humans and free of pollution. Unfortunately, human activities like mining, livestock, energy production and tourism impact them. Today, the rapid flux of people and resources into and out of mountains compounds the challenges they face. The activities pollute even remote mountain areas at high altitudes.
1. CLIMATE CHANGE
Mountains are very fragile environments and are among the regions that are most sensitive to climate change and to the impacts of human activities. Climate change is a worldwide threat, but its impact on mountains is particularly strong and troubling. High-elevation areas tend to experience intensified climate-change-induced warming and weather extremes.
As with high latitudes (our poles), where ice melt is far more rapid than predicted, the rate of warming is also amplified with elevation. That means that high mountains are experiencing more rapid changes in temperature and much higher variations in daily temperatures as compared to lowland regions. Glaciers are melting more and more quickly, snow cover is reduced and highly variable between years. Further, heavy rain events, creating torrents and floods, and periods of no rain, drying out mountain landscapes, have been observed to be more and more common and frequent. All this has important implications for nature, wildlife and for human society.
2. MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEM
Changes in mountain ecosystems will lead to eutrophication, loss of biodiversity and reduced availability of clean drinking water, but give also rise to wildlife and human pathogens, leading to increasing probabilities of zoonoses. We are currently only at the beginning of understanding the functional ecology in mountain ecosystems, but international research already suggests that changing the communities will be detrimental to the environment, biodiversity and our life-support system.
Ways for the PROTECTION OF MOUNTAINS
Travel Wisely-
Choose environmentally-friendly modes of transportation whenever possible. Walk, bike, use public transportation, or carpool with other mountain lovers to reach your destination.
Support Sustainable Practices
-Support businesses and outfitters with a commitment to protecting the environment.
Be Respectful
-Remember to be aware of the impact your tourism has on the local community. Treat the area as though it were your own backyard!
Leave No Trace
-If you pack it in, remember to pack it out. Pick up trash left behind by others whenever possible and leave the mountains better than you found them.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Upcycle
-Make conscious buying decisions, frequent second-hand retailers, and share gear and resources to reduce the footprint of your outdoor adventures.
Book Smart
Avoid peak season and choose less popular locations for reduced impact.
Spread the Word
-Tell the world about your commitment to the 7 ways and let the movement grow!
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