International
Mountain Day 2020- Varanasi Travel Solution Pandeypur
Natural jewels
we should treasure
Mountains 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. Their
conservation is a key factor for sustainable development and is part of Goal 15 of the SDGs.
Unfortunately, mountains
are under threat from climate
change and overexploitation. As the global climate continues to
warm, mountain people — some of the world’s poorest — face even greater
struggles to survive. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers
are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream
for millions of people.
This problem affects us
all. We must reduce our carbon footprint and take care of these natural
treasures.
The increasing attention
to the importance of mountains led the UN to declare to 2002 the UN
International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for
the first time the following year, 2003.
Its roots date back to
1992, when the document “Managing
Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” (called
Chapter 13), was adopted as part of the action plan Agenda 21 of the Conference on
Environment and Development.
Mountain biodiversity is
the theme of this year’s International Mountain Day, so let's celebrate their
rich biodiversity, as well as address the threats they face.
Mountains loom large in
some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Their unique topography,
compressed climatic zones and isolation have created the conditions for a wide
spectrum of life forms.
Biodiversity encompasses
the variety of ecosystems, species and genetic resources, and mountains have
many endemic varieties. The differentiated topography in terms of altitude,
slope and exposure in mountains offers opportunities to grow a variety of
high-value crops, horticulture, livestock and forest species.
For example, mountain
pastoralists in Pakistan have a highly treasured livestock genetic resource
pool with special traits bred into animals, such as disease resilience, which
can help adaption to changing climate. Nearly 70% of mountain land is used for
grazing and provides manure that enhances soil fertility. Livestock not only produces
food items such as milk, butter and meat, but also valuable by-products, such
as some of the most precious yarns, like cashmere wool.
However, climate change,
unsustainable farming practices, commercial mining, logging, and poaching all
exact a heavy toll on mountain biodiversity. In addition, land use and land
cover change, and natural disasters, accelerate biodiversity loss and
contribute to creating a fragile environment for mountain communities.
Ecosystem degradation, loss of livelihoods and migration in mountains can lead
to the abandonment of cultural practices and ancient traditions that have
sustained biodiversity for generations.
The sustainable
management of mountain biodiversity has been increasingly recognized as a
global priority. Sustainable Development Goal 15, target four, is dedicated to
the conservation of mountains’ biodiversity in consideration of its global
relevance. Biodiversity in all ecosystems is in focus, as the United Nations
has declared 2021 to 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and
governments prepare to negotiate the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
for adoption this year at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the
Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Celebrate this
International Day 2020 with your community and friends preparing an event or
joining the conversation on social media using the hashtag #MountainsMatter.
Pass on some of the key messages, or share about the biodiversity in the
mountains near you, or a photo of your favorite mountain.
Ramesh Verma CMD , the 2nd Online Travel
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Happy International
Mountain Day 2020- Varanasi Travel Solution Pandeypur, Uttar Pradesh, India
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