Since the early days of mountaineering, the relationship with the mountain has taken on the contours of a challenge. Against vertical faces and the forces of nature, considered neither good nor bad, but indifferent. Wanting at all costs to anthropomorphise the environment is wrong, but it can be equally wrong to maintain that nature is a simple, impartial spectator — it speaks to us and advises us, yet perhaps we are no longer capable of listening. It is precisely to hear its voice that we leave the plains and urban centres, cross forests and climb mountains, in search of that thread which broke so long ago. Mountains, potentially terrible and dangerous, remind human beings of their smallness and their imperfection and, above all, that they are not the centre of the world.

Why we celebrate mountains

Mountains cover approximately 27 per cent of the Earth's surface (in Italy almost half of the territory, 47.5 per cent) and play a fundamental role in sustainable economic growth. On 11 December, International Mountain Day is celebrated, established by the United Nations in 2002, on the occasion of the International Year of Mountains, and entering into force in 2003. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the importance of mountains for the health of the planet and for the wellbeing of billions of people.

Mountains increasingly deserted

Due both to difficult living conditions and to the absence of adequate work and services, more and more people are abandoning the mountains and moving to urban centres. The depopulation of mountain areas will bring about an inestimable loss in terms of the provision of ecosystem services and the conservation of agrobiodiversity, as well as the extinction of numerous cultures forged among the wind, snow and wild animals. To reverse this trend, investments and policies capable of alleviating the harsh living conditions of mountain communities are needed.

Let young people return to the mountains

In particular, it is necessary to encourage the return of young people to the mountains, so that they can revitalise these areas and take care of their threatened natural resources. The theme of the 2019 edition is Mountains matter for youth, and highlights precisely the need to bring mountains and their inhabitants back to the centre of national and international development plans — and to do so requires the commitment and renewed environmental sensitivity of younger generations. Living in the mountains can be difficult, but the number of young people tired of the alienation of cities and disillusioned with the unsustainable development model of urban centres is growing. To encourage this return to the highlands, however, investments, employment opportunities and public services are needed.

Mountains Malawi @MalawiMountains

𝕏

Sustainable use of Mountain resources is key...
@Mount_Mulanje
#mountainsmatter
#2019IMDMalawi

♥ 9💬 1 8 dic 2019 · Apri su X →

What we can do for the mountains

Major decisions are inevitably taken by governments and large organisations, but each of us can, in our own small way, give something back to the mountains. Picking up litter we find on the path (yes, there are still people who throw it on the ground), trying as far as possible not to damage flora and micro fauna, moving in small groups so as not to disturb animals. The mountain will appreciate it and, who knows, perhaps you will manage to hear its voice.

Previous editions

2018 edition

The theme chosen for the 2018 edition was #MountainsMatter, with the aim of highlighting the crucial importance of mountain ecosystems and our dependence on them. Mountains, the FAO reminds us, provide between 60 and 80 per cent of all freshwater globally; however, climate change is drastically reducing the surface area of glaciers, putting water supply at risk. Mountains are also precious allies in the prevention of natural disasters and are an important economic resource, attracting around 15–20 per cent of global tourism thanks to their great natural and cultural diversity.

International Potato Center @Cipotato

𝕏

Robust Andean food systems require a triple win: healthy diets, sustainable agriculture and smallholder inclusion.

#MountainsMatter #COP25

🔸 @UNmountains
🔸 @UNFCCC
🔸 @TheMountainInst
🔸 @IIED
🔸 @CGIAR
🔸 @CGIARclimate

♥ 15 9 dic 2019 · Apri su X →

Mountains are important from a food perspective too, given that they host a vast agricultural biodiversity — to them we owe foods such as rice, potatoes, quinoa and barley. Thanks to their ruggedness and harsh environmental conditions, mountains have been, in part, spared from the devastating human impact that has befallen the plains. For this reason, ancient indigenous communities have found refuge in the mountains, keeping precious knowledge and traditions alive, sheltered from the influence of mass culture, as have numerous animal and plant species. Mountains are home to around a quarter of terrestrial biological diversity, among which stand out unique and threatened species, such as the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) and the snow leopard (Panthera uncia).

2017 edition

The theme of the 2017 edition was "Mountains under pressure: climate, hunger and migration" and highlighted the enormous negative impact that climate change has on mountain ecosystems, considered by the FAO to be the first indicators of global warming. The degradation of mountain environments has serious repercussions both for the people who live at high altitude — almost one billion — and for much of the rest of the world, given that more than half of the human population depends on mountains for water, food and clean energy. Rising temperatures are indeed causing glaciers to melt at a rate never previously recorded, putting the supply of freshwater downstream at risk for millions of people. The food security of nearly 330 million people living in the mountains is also threatened by natural disasters exacerbated by climate change.

2016 edition

The theme for 2016 was "mountain cultures: celebrating diversity and strengthening identity". International Mountain Day 2016 represented an opportunity to shed light on the variety and richness of the cultures of mountain regions, to promote the multiple cultural identities of these areas and to ensure that the rights of indigenous peoples are recognised and that traditions survive.

2015 edition

The theme of the 2015 edition was "Promoting mountain products to improve living conditions". The aim is to highlight the importance of the various products — predominantly food products — made by mountain communities. Over the generations, farming families have developed unique, resilient and sustainable production systems shaped by their respective environments, suited to the production of specific products and services, and highly diversified.

Mountain agriculture cannot compete with the production volumes of lowland farming, but it can target niche markets, such as organic produce and fair trade. These aspects represent a further incentive to protect the mountains, threatened above all by climate change, deforestation and soil degradation.

Over a century ago, John Muir, when mountains were not yet a destination for stressed city-dwellers, invited people to enjoy their soothing and consoling power. "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."