International Mountain Day 2024

About

As of 2003, International Mountain Day has been observed every year on 11 December to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world. #MountainsMatter

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the coordinating agency for the preparation and animation of this celebration and is mandated to lead observance of it at the global level.

2024 Theme: Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaptation and youth

Over centuries, mountain communities have developed solutions to adapt to their harsh environments, deal with climate change, reduce poverty and protect or restore biodiversity and ecosystems in mountain regions. International Mountain Day 2024 aims to focus on innovative solutions, fostering adaptation strategies and empowering youth for a sustainable future.

Innovation is essential for addressing complex mountain-related issues. It encompasses technological advancements, such as digital solutions for monitoring and conservation, as well as creative problem-solving such as climate-smart agriculture and novel approaches to livelihoods, resource management and financing.

As climate change exacerbates environmental pressures on mountains, adaptation becomes imperative for building resilience and reducing vulnerability. Adaptation strategies tailored to mountain ecosystems and communities include solutions such as ecosystem-based approaches to disaster risk reduction and the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems.

The active, meaningful and inclusive participation of youth in decision-making is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of mountain solutions. Young people are committed to climate action, gender equality, social justice, innovation, the promotion of culture, and inclusion. IMD 2024 promotes decent work and quality employment for young persons, universal and accessible training, and entrepreneurship opportunities that contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of mountain resources.

International Mountain Day 2024 is a platform for exchanging knowledge, showcasing best practices and mobilizing collective action. By embracing innovation, adaptation, youth empowerment, and collaborative approaches, we can pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future for mountain communities and ecosystems.

While “Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaptation and youth” is the suggested theme for 2024, countries, communities and organizations are welcome to celebrate IMD through a theme that is more relevant to them.

Key Messages

• Mountain adaptation solutions are essential to address the climate crisis. | Mountain communities have long demonstrated exceptional ingenuity in living in harsh environmental conditions. However, the escalating impacts of climate change now present unprecedented challenges, threatening their traditional ways of life and survival strategies. Terracing, agroforestry, crop diversification, sustainable soil and water management, and agroecology can help enhance resilience, diversify livelihoods, and increase income.
• Sustainable innovation can “move mountains”. | Grounding technological, institutional, social, policy and financial innovation in local realities can address mountain communities’ marginalization and vulnerability. For example, combining local knowledge and field surveys with geographic information system data, satellite imagery, and remote sensing strengthens disaster management and habitat plans. Investments in digital inclusion and innovative financing for small and medium mountain enterprises improve livelihoods.
• Nature-based solutions in mountains are pivotal for conserving environments and fostering climate adaptation. | Silvopastoralism, forest restoration, and sustainable soil management can address climate challenges for mountain communities while advancing ecosystem conservation. Effective biodiversity conservation includes habitat protection, ecological corridors, and sustainable land use practices. Impactful nature-based solutions require long-term investment, cross-sectoral planning, inclusive governance frameworks and broad multi-actor engagement, including gender mainstreaming.
• Indigenous Peoples, women and local communities are key for climate solutions in mountains. | Local and traditional knowledge fosters tailored solutions that promote resilience, equity and sustainability in mountains. Indigenous Peoples offer ecological expertise, land stewardship practices, community cohesion, and cultural heritage that can be a source of strength during times of climate-related stress. Participatory methods for capturing diverse mountain voices are vital for exploring future pathways to navigate climate-related challenges.
• The future of the mountain agenda relies on meaningful youth engagement. | Youth drive climate action and societal change. Sustainable mountain development relies on their engagement in decision-making with greater diversity, inclusion and representation. Youth-led programmes and enterprises, coupled with financing and intergenerational collaboration, can spur solutions in mountains. Equal access to education, health, employment, and credit is key to engage youth and halt out-migration.
• Safeguarding mountain forests helps mitigate the impacts of climate change. | Forest cover 39 percent of the global mountain area. Healthy mountain forests conserve watersheds, protect against natural hazards and act as carbon sinks, playing an important role in carbon capture. When sustainably managed, mountain forests are important sources for livelihoods, increasing mountain communities’ resilience to climate change.

International Mountain Day 2024 Celebration

FAO and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat are holding an event, Mountain solutions for a sustainable future, in the FAO atrium in Rome to celebrate International Mountain Day 2024. The event will feature prominent speakers and a dynamic set of activities that bring together global leaders, experts, mountain community representatives and change makers.

The FAO Atrium will be transformed into a mountain village, offering visitors an immersive experience that showcases the diverse innovations and solutions of mountain communities, as well as a food and coffee tasting with products from Italian mountain regions in collaboration with Slow Food, the Mountain Future Award 2024 ceremony, and a traditional Guatemalan dance performance.

A video and publication on innovative mountain solutions will also be launched to mark the Day.

Geneva Events

Mountains and the Environment

Covering around 27% of the earth’s land surface and home to 15% of the world’s population, mountains are essential for human lives and livelihoods. Mountains regions provide freshwater, energy and food – resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades. Mountains also host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. However, mountains are under threat from climate change and overexploitation. Learn more about the role of mountains for sustainable development and the environmental challenges faced by these regions (including glaciers melting and plastic pollution) below.

Learning

GEN Events

Resources and News

• Trends in Climate Adaptation Solutions for Mountain Regions | Mountain Research Initiative | 24 November 2024
• State of the Cryosphere 2024 – Lost Ice, Global Damage | International Cryosphere Climate Initiative | 12 November 2024
• Leave no mountain behind: the synthesis series – Migration, mobility and immobility in the mountains | Adaptation at Altitude | 16 July 2024