Sustainable Mountain Development: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The world is currently facing a multitude of global challenge. Climate change and increasing natural disasters, food and energy crises, a growing population (predicted to reach 9.2 billion people by 2050), increasing water scarcity and desertification, deteriorating water quality, loss of biodiversity, overall ecosystem degradation, financial crises, political instability, migration and the growth of cities are some important challenges. These challenges disproportionally affect mountain regions and their inhabitants, particularly in the developing countries. Moreover, owing to the relevance of mountain goods and services, changes occurring in mountain areas reach far beyond the mountains. The global importance of mountains as water towers, biodiversity hotspots, indicators of climate change and hubs of traditional indigenous knowledge means that mountain regions also offer strategic opportunities to ensure sustainable development. Sustainable mountain development is thus key requirement to address these global challenges and to overall sustainable development.