Mountains are water reservoirs for the planet
N Munal Meitei
Mountains are one of the oldest nature’s pristine
structures, stolid and regal they stand against the sky, of such a size that
they can catch entire countryside’s in their shadow, and turn back the ravages
of storms against their unflinching sides. They are the source of recreation
and resource, with stones of green dressed slopes to enthusiasts, and to those
brave enough to delve into their stony sides.
Mountains are one of the most beautiful and interesting
geological features that nature has to offer us. Mountains have served as
playgrounds and places of worship for countless generations - a mainstay for so
many people and cultures.
International Mountain Day is observed on 11 December to
celebrate the beauty of mountains and their values. Mountains are recognized as
particularly sensitive physical environments where intense and rapid changes
have taken place in the past and may increasingly in the future. Manipur being
with 90% hills have the relevance to celebrate this unique day.
‘Restoring mountain ecosystems’ is the theme of this year.
Mountains cover around 27% of the Earth’s land surface and host about half of
the world’s biodiversity hotspots. As the water towers of the world, they
supply freshwater to an estimated half of humanity. Mountains are home to an
extraordinary range of plants and animals and to many culturally diverse communities
with different languages and traditions.
From climate regulation and water provisioning, to soil
maintenance and conservation, mountains are key to our lives and livelihoods.
They contribute to food and nutrition and play a crucial role in sustainable
economic growth.
Mountains are natural jewels, we should treasure. Mountains
are a hugely important type of ecosystem that provide freshwater for half of
humanity. Freshwater from mountains is fundamental for global food security,
used for irrigation in many lowland regions. They provide freshwater for
everyday life to half of humanity, helping to sustain agriculture and supply
clean energy and medicines.
This theme was selected to include mountains in the UN
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 led by FAO and the UNEP. The Decade
is an opportunity to draw together political support, scientific research and
financial resources to significantly scale-up restoration and prevent further
degradation of mountain ecosystems.
Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate
change and over-exploitation such as unsustainable farming, commercial mining
and logging. With global warming, mountain glaciers are melting, affecting
freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people. In addition, land
overuse and land cover change accelerate migration, biodiversity loss and ecosystem
degradation.
Yet mountains are starker under threat from climate change
and unsustainable development, escalating risks for both the mountain
communities and the rest of the world. Climate change threatens the flow of
water and fast-rising temperatures are forcing mountain species and people that
depend on these ecosystems to adapt or migrate. Steep slopes mean the clearing
of forest for farming, settlements or infrastructure causes soil erosion and
loss of habitat. According to IPCC, upto 84% of endemic mountain species are at
risk of extinction, while populations of other montane plant and animal species
are projected to decline and extinction.
The UN General Assembly also recently proclaimed 2023–2027
“Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions” to attract
grants and strengthen cooperation for sustainable mountain development. Almost
half the human population depends on mountains for water, food and energy.
Mountain farming has been a model for centuries as an inherently green and low-carbon
footprint. Of the 20 plant species that supply 80% of the world’s food, six are
diversified and originated in mountains: maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum,
tomatoes and apples.
Mountains are early indicators of climate change and as the
global climate continues to warm, mountain people - some of the world’s
hungriest and poorest - face greater struggles to survive. Climate-induced
disasters, combined with political, economic and social marginalization,
increase the vulnerability of mountain peoples to food shortages and extreme
poverty.
Mountain ranges are the primary depository for pollutants.
For example, the impacts of plastic pollution are heavily felt in mountainous
regions. Indeed, plastic is the most common type of waste found in mountains, a
trend driven by tourism.
However, mountains are vulnerable to a host of natural and
anthropogenic threats, including seismic hazards, fire, climate change, land
cover change and agricultural intensification and armed conflict. These
pressures degrade mountain environments and affect the ecosystem services and
the livelihoods. Thus the fragility of mountain ecosystems represents a
considerable challenge to sustainable development.
Mountains are ubiquitous and 90% of the world’s mountain
dwellers live in developing countries, where a vast majority live below the
poverty line and 1 out of 3 faces the threat of food insecurity. Mountains not
only provide sustenance and well-being to 915 million global people but also
indirectly benefit billions living downstream.
Mountains are places of tourism and cultural trails.
Mountain tourism accounts for about 18% of the global tourism industry.
Mountain populations have unique and valuable local knowledge, tradition and
cultural practices that can contribute to effective land management strategies
and climate adaptation.
Mountains have a key role to play in providing renewable
energy, especially through hydro power, solar power, wind power and biogas.
Hydro power currently provides around a fifth of all electricity worldwide and
some countries rely 100% of their requirements.
Traditional medicines and many forms of handicrafts that
spring up from the minds of mountain people that were kept untouched for
centuries towered the edifices into their legacies. Mountains are necessary for
the health and well-being of the flora and fauna that call them their home.
The world’s mountains encompass some of the most spectacular
landscapes, a wide variety of ecosystems, a great diversity of species and
distinctive human communities. Genetic diversity is higher in mountain regions.
When mountain communities disintegrate, the entire cultures and languages
disappear.
Mountains have acted as refuges from environmental changes
or competing species and they often represent sites of in situ speciation. Due
to global warming, species that are endemic in these areas can become “trapped”
and may disappear as their habitat is reduced.
Changes in precipitation patterns and rising temperatures
result in reducing the water holding capacity of the mountain range. Habitat
degradation caused by massive deforestation results in soil erosion,
landslides, flooding and food insecurity. With this change in habitat, rare
species of plants and animals can face extinction.
This day can be celebrated in the cavalcade of ways to
discover the hiding beauties, hiking along the trails and enjoying the mountain
nature in all its glory and untouched wilderness. However, mountains are hugely
vulnerable to the natural and anthropogenic threats which degrade the mountain
ecosystem and the livelihoods of billions of peoples. Therefore with the coming
of this day, let’s join hands to save the mountains and hills for survival of
the Planet. The writer is environmentalist and he can be reached at
nmunall@yahoo.in
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