December 11th is International Mountain Day, a day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness about the importance of mountains and sustainable mountain development. Here’s a quote to mark the occasion:

“Mountains are not stadiums where we satisfy our ambition to achieve, they are the places where we introspect on the creations of Allah”

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty and significance of mountains on this day.

Restoring mountain ecosystems

Mountains are natural jewels we should treasure.They are home to 15% of the world´s population and host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. They provide fresh water for agriculture to half of humanity, helping to sustain argiculture and supply clean energy and medicines.

Unfortunately, mountains, are under threat from climate change, overexploitation, and contamination, increasing the risks for the people and the planet.

As the global climate continues to warm, mountain glaciers melt affecting freshwater supplies downstream, and mountain people — some of the world’s poorest — face even greater struggles to survive.

Steep slopes mean the clearing of forest for farming, settlements or infrastructure can cause soil erosion as well as the loss of habitat. Erosion and pollution harm the quality of Over downstream and the productivity of the soil. In fact, over 311 million rural mountain people in developing countries live in areas exposed to progressive land degradation, 178 million of whom are considered vulnerable to food insecurity.

This problem affects us all. We must reduce our carbon footprint and take care of these natural treasures.

International Mountain Day 2023, under the title “Restoring mountain ecosystems” is a chance to increase awareness about the relevance of mountain ecosystems and call for nature-based solutions, best practices, and, invest talk resilience, reduce vulnerability, and increase the ability of mountains to adapt to daily threats and extreme climatic events.

Did you know?

Of the 20 plant species that supply 80% of the world’s food, six originated and have been diversified in mountains: maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes, and apples

Mountain ecosystems are under threat from pollution. Microplastics have even been found as high as the summit of Mt. Everest.

Up to 84 percent of endemic mountain species are at risk of extinction, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Quotes

“Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery.” – John Ruskin

“Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.” – David McCullough Jr.

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” – Sir Edmund Hillary

“Mountains inspire awe in any human person who has a soul. They remind us of our frailty, our unimportance, of the briefness of our span on this earth.” – Elizabeth Aston

“You never conquer a mountain. Mountains can’t be conquered; you conquer yourself — your hopes, your fears.” – Jim Whitaker

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.” – John Lubbock