Enhancing the resilience of mountain people and their environments.
Mountains are key ecosystems, providing goods and services, such as water, food and energy, to the entire planet. In particular, mountains provide and regulate up to 80 percent of global freshwater resources. However, mountain people are among the worlds’ poorest: one in three faces hunger and food insecurity. Climate change has a strong impact on mountain areas, increasing the occurrence of disasters and exacerbating desertification, land degradation and soil erosion. Mountain communities are particularly vulnerable to the effects of natural hazards due to their high dependency on agriculture (crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry) as their primary source of livelihood. Life in mountain areas is becoming increasingly difficult and the vulnerability of mountain people to food insecurity is worsening, often forcing them to migrate. Identifying new, sustainable livelihood opportunities and adopting practices that build the resilience of mountain people and their env...