The United Nations (UN’s) International Mountain Day (IMD) is annually observed on 11 December worldwide to raise awareness about the importance of mountains to life and highlight the importance of mountain development.
- The Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) coordinates the annual celebration of the Day to foster greater awareness of mountain issues.
- The theme of IMD 2024 is “Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaptation, and youth”
Background:
i.The origin of IMD can be traced back to Chapter 13 of Agenda 21, titled “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development,” adopted during the Earth Summit or the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development(UNCED) in 1992.
ii.In 2002, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the year as the International Year of Mountains (IYM2002) led by the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to raise global awareness about the significance of mountain ecosystems.
iii.In 2003, UNGA adopted resolution A/RES/57/245, declaring December 11 of each year as International Mountain Day.
- The first observance of this day took place on December 11, 2003.
Significance of IMD:
Mountains are important sources of water, energy, biological diversity, and other essential resources.
- They are home to 15% of the world´s population and host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
Mountain Partnership:
The Mountain Partnership is a global initiative established to promote sustainable development in mountain regions. It was launched in 2002 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
- A high-level plenary session at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), titled “Resource Mobilization for Climate Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountains,” brought together global leaders and climate experts to discuss the critical need for greater investment in climate adaptation for these vulnerable ecosystems.
5 Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions 2023-2027:
UNGA proclaimed the 5 Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Region 2023-2027 by adopting the resolution A/RES/77/172.
- It aims to enhance the awareness of the international community of the problems of mountain countries and to give new impetus to address the challenges and problems of mountain countries.
Reading Mountains Festival:
The Reading Mountains Festival was celebrated on December 11, 2024, to coincide with IMD. The festival was organized by the Alpine Convention and takes place across the Alps.
World’s Top 3 Highest Mountains:
1.Mount Everest (8,849 meters(m)), located between the Nepal and China border.
2.K2 (8611 m), located between Pakistan and China border
3.Kangchenjunga (8586 m), located between Nepal and India border
Key Facts:
i.Over 311 million rural mountain inhabitants in developing countries reside in regions prone to ongoing land degradation, with 178 million of them being particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.
ii.Out of the 20 plant species that provide 80% of the world’s food, six originated and were diversified in mountain regions: maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes, and apples.
iii.Microplastics have even been found as high as the summit of Mt. Everest
iv.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that up to 84% of endemic mountain species are threatened with extinction.
