Introduction:
Mountains are natural jewels we should treasure.They are home to 15% of the world´s population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots. They provide freshwater for everyday life to half of humanity, helping to sustain agriculture and supply clean energy and medicines.
Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change ,overexploitation and contamination, increasing the risks for the people and the planet.
As the global climate continues to warm, mountain glaciers melt affecting freshwater supplies downstream, and mountain people — some of the world’s poorest — face even greater struggles to survive.
Steep slopes mean the clearing of forest for farming, settlements or infrastructure can cause soil erosion as well as the loss of habitat. Erosion and pollution harm the quality of water flowing downstream and the productivity of soil. In fact, over 311 million rural mountain people in developing countries live in areas exposed to progressive land degradation, 178 million of whom are considered vulnerable to food insecurity.
This problem affects us all. We must reduce our carbon footprint and take care of these natural treasures.
International Mountain Day 2023, under the title “Restoring Mountain ecosystems” is a chance to increase awareness about the relevance of mountain ecosystems and call for nature-based solutions, best practices and investments that build resilience, reduce vulnerability and increase the ability of mountains to adapt to daily threats and extreme climatic events.
What is International Day of Mountains:
International Mountain Day is celebrated on December 11 every year. The day aims to encourage sustainable development in mountains. The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN to declare 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for the first time the following year, 2003.
Significance:
International Mountain Day gives us an opportunity to spread awareness about protecting the mountain biodiversity as these delicate ecosystems are under tremendous pressure from climate change, overexploitation, and pollution.
Theme of International Mountain Day 2023:
The United Nations (UN) proclaimed “Women move mountains” as the theme for International Mountain Day 2023. The theme aims to raise awareness among people about the vital role of women in the environmental, social, and economic development of mountain people. It also highlights their efforts to protect and sustain life in mountain areas.
Celebrations of International Mountain Day will encompass the rich biodiversity of mountains and address the threats they face. Mountains are the most attractive part of tourism. The International Mountain Day theme is a great opportunity for young people to indulge themselves in the awareness of mountain development as they are the custodians of this Golconda in the future.
Logo of International Mountain Day:
The logo of International Mountain Day is a combination of three equilateral triangles with a stripe under these.
These triangles are the symbol of mountains. The first left triangle has a rhombus shape at the top, which is a sign of ice at the mountain top. The central triangle having an orange circle inside it is a sign of minerals and resources inside the mountain. The triangle on the right side has its lower right corner green which is the symbol of forests and crops in mountains.
The black stripe under these triangles has the words 11 December in white color. Under this stripe, the words “International Mountain Day” are written in two rows. The upper row has the words “International” in blue color while the lower row has the words “Mountain Day” in light blue color.
7 Interesting Activities to perform on this day:
Clean up your local natural preserves. You can clean your nearby natural and local places that look interesting and add beauty to the area. After all, they need cleaning as these trails don’t clear themselves.
Read about the features and role of mountains. If you want to celebrate the day at home, you can read about the unique features of mountains to increase your knowledge.
Share posts about the idea of the day. Share posts about this year’s theme on social media to raise understanding and act upon the day’s idea. You can also share informative facts about mountains.
Mountain climbing. If you want an outdoor activity to celebrate the day and climb any mountain last year, try another mountain climbing route this year. In the States, Colorado is the best bet for you. Try it this year and share your experience on social media.
Take someone with you on your journey. Introduce the mountain’s charm to someone who has not yet taken this day as an opportunity to learn about mountains.
Meet mountain people. You can meet with mountain people to appreciate and encourage them to maintain and develop mountains and explore more about mountains.
Share your day’s experience on social media. Feel free to share your activity and effort of the day, videos, and pictures to raise awareness and encourage others to do so.
Written by Nikita
BSc Physics Honours
2nd year
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