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 argiculture and supply clean energy and medicines.
Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change ,overexploitation and contamination, increasing the risk s 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 Theme for 2023
International Mountain Day 2023, under the theme “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.
History Behind International Mountain Day
The journey of International Mountain Day began in 2001 when the United Nations decided to shine a spotlight on mountains. They launched the International Year of Mountains on December 11, 2001, to create awareness and inspire action for sustainable mountain development.
A year later, on December 20, 2002, the UN officially declared December 11 as International Mountain Day. The first celebration took place in 2003, and since then, each year has a specific theme to focus on different issues, like freshwater, peace, biodiversity, or climate change.
Source: www.un.org
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