PURPOSE: The United Nations General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as International Mountain Day. The day aims to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.The Mountains cover around 27% of the Earth’s land surface and host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. As the water towers of the world, they supply freshwater to an estimated half of humanity. Mountains are home to an extraordinary range of plants and animals, and to many culturally diverse communities with different languages and traditions. From climate regulation and water provisioning services, to soil maintenance and conservation, mountains are key to our lives and livelihoods. Yet mountains are suffering from the impacts of climate change and unsustainable development, escalating risks for people and the planet. Climate change threatens the flow of water, and fast-rising temperatures are forcing mountain species and the people that depend on these ecosystems to adapt or migrate. 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. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, up to 84% of endemic mountain species are at risk of extinction, while populations of a range of other montane plant and animal species are projected to decline and face extinction. The recent biodiversity agreement of the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference – which pledges to protect 30% of the Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas and inland waters by 2030 – provides an impetus to revive and protect mountain landscapes. Increasing climate variability, coupled with a lack of investment in mountain agriculture and rural development, has often pushed men to migrate elsewhere in search of alternative livelihoods. Women have therefore taken on many tasks formerly done by men, yet mountain women are often invisible due to a lack of decision-making power and unequal access to resources. On 16 December 2021, to promote action for mountains, the General Assembly proclaimed 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development at the proposal of the Kyrgyz Government. The Roadmap to observe 2025 as International year of Glaciers and World Day for Glaciers were adopted by a United Nations General Assembly resolution inviting UNESCO and WMO, in cooperation with UN Member States and relevant organizations of the United Nations system, to facilitate their implementation.

 FORUM: “Restoring Mountains ecosytems.” International Mountain Day 2023. This theme was selected to fully include mountains in the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, co-led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the UN Environment Programme. The Decade is an opportunity to draw together political support, scientific research and financial resources to significantly scale-up restoration and prevent further degradation of mountain ecosystems.The United Nations General Assembly also recently proclaimed 2023–2027 as “Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions” in its triennial resolution on sustainable mountain development. Its objectives are to attract grant assistance and investments for mountains, develop “green” economies and technologies, create mechanisms to strengthen cooperation between mountainous countries, and develop science and education in the field of sustainable mountain development. The celebration of the International Mountain Day 2023 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. Follow the conversations with the hashtags:#MountainDay, #ReadingMountains, #11December, #MountainsMatter,#mountainecosystem #ecosystemservice #InternationalMountainDay.

EVENTS: A high-level side event will be held in the Food and Agriculture Pavilion at the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai on December 11th at 14.00–15.00 GST to celebrate the International Mountain Day 2023. The event will feature high-level speakers, youth and Indigenous Peoples who will share their perspectives on addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation in mountain regions. The event will be broadcast soon; See details here and Get the agenda programme!

As the COP28 continues, a panel discussion will held by the UNDP Buthan ahead of #MountainDay, we take you to Lunana, one of the highest human settlements on earth. Home to 3 of Buthan’s 17 high risk glacial lakes, Lunana lives in constant fear of #GLOF as glaciers melt fast. What actions we need to develop to reduce fthe impacts of Climate change on mountains water ecosystems.

On December 13th, from 14.30–16.00 CET online, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat and the FAO-led UN Decade Task Force on Best Practices will host a technical session “Sharing knowledge throughout the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: Good practices for the restoration of mountain ecosystems” to showcase and share good practices for restoration of mountain ecosystems. The event will be broadcast on Zoom – details here.

FESTIVAL: Taking place every year in the run-up to or on International Mountain Day on December 11th, the Reading Mountains Festival 2023 will offer us an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the literary and cultural diversity of the Alps. This year, the Festival enters its ninth edition, and if you have never been part of it, we warmly invite you to join in or attend an event! Learn more about the Ninth edition of the Reading Mountains Festival.

STATEMENTS: Read the statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Mountain Day 2023 and the Statement by David Cooper Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity International Mountain Day 2023; December 11th.