International Mountain Day: Bringing positive change to people living on mountains

International Mountain Day highlights the significance of mountains in everyone’s lives. It is celebrated every year on December 11 to raise awareness and also to encourage people to act and bring positive change to the people living on and around mountains as well as the surrounding environments.

On this day, various organisations especially the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) coordinate with different agencies and arrange different programs.

Importance of mountains in our lives

Mountains cover around 27% of the surface of the Earth and are home to 15% human population. Mountains are extremely important for humans and their livelihoods. They not only offer sustenance but a good life to more than 1 billion people living on mountains and around and another billion whose lives are directly or indirectly connected.

Mountains provide energy, fresh water, and food. These resources are expected to become scarce in the coming decades. Statistics show that more than half of the human population is dependent on mountain freshwater for their supply of drinking water every day.

Due to the regular cutting of forests in valleys and mountains 50% of the biodiversity hotspots of the world and 30% of the key biodiversity areas have been destroyed. That is why saving the remaining biodiversity and the mountains has become so important.

If mankind expects to manage sustainable development then the key factor is saving mountains and its biodiversity.

Threats for mountains

Overexploitation and climate change are the major threats to mountains. Due to multiple factors, the global climate is seeing rapid changes. Global warming is a major issue and threat for the mountains as the glaciers are melting at very rapid speed which is directly affecting the freshwater supplies for millions of people.

Pollution and degradation in the environment caused due to human activities along with plastic pollution are heavily impacting the mountains. That is why International Mountains Day is celebrated so that more and more people can become aware of these threats and their consequences and mountains can be saved.