International Mountain Day

International Mountain Day 2025 theme: “ Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond. ” The celebration focus on the importance of glacier preservation for agriculture, water security, and the livelihoods of vulnerable mountain communities. International Mountain Day 2025 celebration in Bangladesh . 11/11/2026 - 11/11/2025 Dhaka, Bangladesh

To celebrate this day, the Societat Excursionista de la Safor is calling for two events, which will take place this week: Inauguration of the photographic exhibition on International Mountain Day, Friday, December 12 at 7:30 PM, at the headquarters of the Safor Mountaineering Society, located at Pare Carles Ferris Street 14, in Gandia. Photographs by Òscar Martí (A un tir de pedra). This exhibition is financed by a subsidy from the FEMECV. The second 2nd Hike to the Coll de la Rafaela, Sunday the 14th at 9:30 AM. This activity, in which the Gandia City Council collaborates through the Department of Environment, Sustainability and Climate Emergency, consists of a brief mountain route starting from the Parpalló - Borrell NM (Natural Municipal) Park Interpretation Center, continuing the route past the Font del Garrofer spring and finally climbing up to the Coll de la Rafaela. As in the first edition last year, several stops will be made during the itinerary to read short texts related to ...

Let's celebrate International Mountain Day  in Cusco at the Alliance Française (auditorium). Conference and screening of the documentary "Daughters of the Mountains" Tour INKAFEST mountain film 12/12/2025 - 12/12/2025 Cusco, Peru

Glaciers can be found on every continent in mountain landscapes and across the polar regions. Globally, snow and ice store more than 70% of available freshwater resources, and their run-off is a critical source of life, providing freshwater to people, animals, plants and economies. Glacier and mountain ecosystems also host unique biodiversity and support a plethora of species. However, snow and ice have been in drastic decline since the beginning of the 20th century, and at accelerated rates recently due to global heating, with impacts on global sea level rise, regional risk levels, and local livelihoods. This event aims to Present the latest scientific evidence and projections on cryosphere changes globally and regionally with selected case studies. Share & demonstrate innovative and successfully tested solutions including at transboundary/regional levels in mountain region s and beyond, to preserve snow and ice whilst supporting livelihoods and economies to adapt to changes...

  On December 12th, we will celebrate International Mountain Day with a presentation by geologist and mountaineer Luis Carcavilla at the Natural History Museum in Zaragoza, Spain. This event is organized by the Mountain Wilderness Spain association and the museum. In this talk, Luis Carcavilla will review the factors that influence the conservation of the Himalayas and its glaciers, describing their geology, landscapes, and culture, drawing on his experience from more than 20 trips to the region over the last two decades. Encounters at the museum: Between rocks and ice: geology, conservation and mountaineering in the Himalaya 12/12/2025 - 12/12/2025 Zaragoza, Spain

The Alpine Convention 's annual Reading Mountains Festival brings together book enthusiasts and mountain lovers from all around the Alps and beyond. The Festival is a tribute to the rich Alpine cultural and linguistic heritage that connects communities while celebrating what makes them unique. Each event organised as part of the festival creates an opportunity to bring people together, to raise awareness about the vulnerability and importance of the Alps, and to showcase how important it is to safeguard them for future generations.  Reading Mountains Festival 11/12/2025. Alpine-wide

The goal of the Expedition is to celebrate International Mountain Day by visiting the source region of the Paraíba do Sul River, located in the Bocaina mountain range , in the municipality of Areias, São Paulo State, Brazil. The route will include a technical visit to the Araucária Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) , one of the properties participating in the Guardians of the Paraíba River Sources project. The route is approximately 70 km (round trip), mostly on poor roads, requiring a 4x4 vehicle. It is recommended to bring your own snacks, sunscreen, hat, comfortable clothing, appropriate footwear, water, and any regularly used medications. The return is scheduled for 5 pm. Afterwards, there will be a book launch for the Paraíba River Sources Expedition at the Rei das Tilápias Restaurant. Organized by: Crescente Fértil, OMA Brasil, Movimento Nascentes do Paraíba, and RPPN Pedra da Mina. Partnership: Memorial das Nascentes do Paraíba do Sul, Secretaria de Turismo e Meio Ambient...

Saudi Geographical Society branch at Asir region will orginize a day trip to Raydah Natural Reserve in Asir mountain area which is part of the Arab Shield. It primarily consists of moving volcanic rock. The reserve is comprised of steep slopes covered by dense vegetation, predominantly juniper trees, with a number of water tributaries descending from the top of the cliff and pouring into Raydah Valley. The trip is also include visiting the local communities and its activities in Raydah Natural Reserve. A day trip to Raydah Natural Reserve in Asir mountains. 11/12/2025 - 11/12/2025 Abha, Saudi Arabia

Walks organized by the  Great Dividing Trail Association (GDTA) . The United Nations International Mountain Day (IMD) is celebrated each year on 11 December . Its goal is to Raise awareness about the role that mountains play in the lives of people and their importance to our planet. Barry Golding and Clive Willman made reference in their 2024 book, Six Peaks Speak (Chapter 9) to the serendipitous origins of Mountain Day in the US in Autumn 1838, the exact same time that peaks in the Central Highlands of Victoria were being unsettled. In 2024, DJAARA, for the Traditional Owners generously invited the community to share their very successful IMD celebration, see https://djadjawurrung.com.au/projects/imd/ in the stunning and culturally significant volcanic crater at Lalkambuk / Mt Franklin. In 2025, during the week leading up to IMD, the GDTA is organising six interpretive loop walks to the summits of six diverse and special mountains in Victoria’s Central Highlands, within three a...

Be mountain and nature lovers at the Arcadia Ecohome located at the foothill of the San Gabriel Mountains and in the watershed of the San Gabriel River, CIEDM has taken part in the global celebrations of International Mountain Day (IMD) for several years. For 2025, we are taking following actions, based at the Ecohome, an observational lab/station for several citizen science projects: 1) Serving as a citizen scientist and a registered National Weather Service Official Skywarn Spotter, I’ve scheduled a weeklong sky watch kicking off on Saturday December 6, the SKYWARN Recognition Day 2025, and ending on Thursday December 11, the IMD 2025; 2) With 2025 being the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation and the IMD 2025 theme being “ Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond ” highlighting the critical role of glaciers as a source of freshwater and their importance for agriculture, energy, and biodiversity, we’ve planned a plalking on December 11 a...

In celebration of the 2025 International Mountain Day, Global Hope Supporters from seven cities in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, carried out a “ Leaf Recycling Resource-Circulation Activity ” on November 26 together with the Jayang-myeon Community Service Center in Yeongcheon, along the Yeongcheon Dam trail. Approximately 370 volunteers and citizens separated clean leaves from those collected, filling about 400 sacks and delivering them to the local government. By recycling fallen leaves—a valuable forest resource—into compost and using them to support local green-space management, the activity contributes to fostering a healthier forest ecosystem. This event is part of the Forest of Hope campaign, carried out by the Church of God’s Global Hope Supporters with the caring heart of a mother to protect the environment of our global community. The Forest of Hope campaign aims to restore forest ecosystems—sources of hope for humanity—and create a sustainable global environmen...

Resende and others, Brazil Card promoting International Mountain Day and the importance of mountain ecosystems in the world and in Brazil: "Brazil, a country of mountains, hills, ranges, and mountains... Mountains are elevated features with an altimetric amplitude greater than 300 meters in relation to the surrounding areas, predominantly with sharp peaks or ridges and steep slopes, whose occurrence is normally associated with continuous dissected sets, in orogenic systems or cratons. Mountains constitute 22% of the world's territory and about 17% of the Brazilian territory. A large part of the remaining natural forests, conservation units, water sources, and other resources are in mountain environments, which ensure the provision of relevant ecosystem services essential to human well-being, maintenance of biodiversity, rural production, and climate stability. In December, the world celebrates Mountain Day, established by the UN, as a sign of its importance for life on the pl...

 Glacial and snowmelt provide essential water supplies to Rivers and basins at seasonal and annual timescales, both within and downstream from mountains (Adler et al., 2022; Hock et al., 2019). Changes in water flows pose a growing risk to the water, food and livelihood security of billions of people (UNESCO, 2025). River basins with a large glacier and cryosphere (snow) component that are at high risk include the Amu Darya, Columbia, Fraser, Ganges-Brahmaputra, Indus, Po, Rhine, Rio Negro, Syr, Darya and Tarim. The impacts will be particularly felt in regions that strongly depend on glacier and snowmelt with pronounced dry seasons, including Central Asia, South Asia, tropical and subtropical western South America and southwestern North America (Hock et al., 2019; Immerzeel et al., 2020).  Key rivers that are heavily influenced by water sources from mountains (90 percent of the mean annual flow) include the Amu Darya, Colorado, Nile, Orange and Rio Negro. Rivers that depen...

Glaciers are critical lifelines, sustaining rivers that support agriculture, food security and livelihoods for nearly two billion people in mountain and downstream regions. Rising global temperatures are causing glaciers to melt rapidly, reshaping ecosystems, threatening food and water security and increasing disaster risks. This technical brief examines the links between glaciers, agriculture and livelihoods, drawing on evidence from the Andes, Himalaya, Central Asia and beyond. It highlights the potential of sustainable mountain farming to restore ecosystems, conserve resources and build resilience. Launched on International Mountain Day 2025, the brief underscores that protecting glaciers is essential to safeguarding our shared future. Read the full publication on  Glaciers and mountains: The food, water security and livelihoods nexus .

  EVENTS:  On thursday,   December 11th , 2025 , from 11.00 - 16.30 CET at the Atrium, FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy ; Join the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at an event in the FAO atrium to celebrate International Mountain Day 2025 . The   event   will feature prominent speakers and a dynamic set of activities that bring together global leaders, experts, mountain community representatives and change makers. Register to participate! Glaciers matter for food, water and livelihoods in mountains and beyond , International Mountain Day 2025 event. Thursday, 11 December 2025 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy 10.00-11.35 CET |  High-level event , Sheikh Zayed Centre 11.35-15.00 CET | Exhibition and ice cream tasting, Atrium The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat will host a  high-level event  on 11 December ...

  Mountains and glaciers are crucial for food security. Water originating from these high-altitude regions irrigates lowland farms and sustains the livelihoods of mountain communities. Sustainable agricultural practices and agrifood systems offer key solutions to food security and the climate crisis and are critical in Preserving glaciers (FAO, 2025c). Agroforestry, agroecology, terrace farming, sustainable soil management and watershed management are some examples of agricultural practices which protect mountain ecosystems (FAO, 2024).  Glacial melt is an important seasonal source of water for irrigated agriculture in mountains, particularly in the dry season. There is evidence that a reduction in streamflow due to glacier melt or reduced snow cover has led to reduced water availability for the irrigation of crops, leading to a decline in agricultural yields in several mountain localities (Hock et al., 2019). These include the Peruvian Andes, which have experienced redu...

  The Policy recommendations to strengthen food and water security in mountains and downstream include:  ■ Enhance data and monitoring : Huge gaps remain in the monitoring of glaciers, particularly in high mountain regions. Improved observation coverage and resolution, data management and global data sharing can enhance analyses and prediction services that support timely actions to address threats, risks and impacts on water and food security. This includes establishing a global inventory of existing perennial ice and snow masses and of water quality aspects . Consolidating cooperation and partnerships among scientific institutions and relevant stakeholders involved in cryosphere monitoring and research is essential, including making research findings more accessible to all stakeholders. Strengthening of early warning systems, ideally based on real-time monitoring and data, is an urgent imperative (Adler et al., 2022; UNESCO, 2025). The reporting efforts under the Enhanced T...

 The preceding sections of this technical brief outline the critical challenges posed by accelerating glacier and cryosphere melt, underscoring the necessity for comprehensive adaptation strategies, including strengthening sustainable agriculture, water and management ecosystem-based adaptation approaches and practices. The FAO eLearning Academy offers two relevant online training courses developed by the Land and Water division at FAO, for policymakers, government staff, small-scale producer organizations and civil society organizations: 1. Agricultural ecosystem-based solutions can enhance production efficiencywhile simultaneously protecting and restoring the environmental resources’productive capacity . This course presents nature-based solutions and ecosystem approaches aimed at mitigating land and water degradation while enhancing food security. 2. Maintaining and restoring wetlands in agricultural settings examines The intricate relationship between agriculture and wetlands ....

As Murat Kantarcı Science and Art Center, we will be organizing a special event on Mount Erciyes , hosted by Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Erciyes Inc. , as part of International Mountain Day , observed annually on December 11th , to raise awareness of the importance of mountains to life. This awareness-raising event will be held in conjunction with the 2025 International Year for the Conservation of Glaciers, declared by the United Nations General Assembly. Main Focus in 2025: Glaciers The proposed theme for International Mountain Day 2025 is " Glaciers are crucial for water, food, and livelihoods in the mountains and beyond. " This year, the theme aims to foster global cooperation, strengthen scientific research, and support policies and actions to protect glaciers and cryospheric systems. Mountains are making a significant contribution to the International Year of Glacier Conservation, which emphasizes the necessity of protecting glaciers, the lifeblood of our planet...