Climate change 'eating our mountains'

Outdoor headlines

13 December 2007 17:08

The organisers of International Mountain Day say this year's event has helped focus attention on the dangers posed to earth's mountain ranges by climate change. 

The day was instigated by the United Nations in 2003 and promotes everything from developments in climbing technology to biodiversity.

The theme of this year's International Mountain Day, held on Tuesday, was Facing Change: Climate Change in Mountain Areas. The day tackled ecological issues such as melting glaciers, retreating snowlines and the effect of increased carbon emissions.

The day was marked by organised walks in places as diverse as Lebanon, Slovenia and Pakistan.

Jose Antonio Prado, of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, said: “Climate change is a reality today, and some of the best evidence comes from mountain areas: mountain glaciers in nearly all parts of the world have been retreating for decades and, in some cases, have disappeared.

"This year's event presented an opportunity to increase awareness that global climate change is a reality now, that mountains are particularly affected, and this has implications for humankind beyond mountain areas."

Previous themes include Mountain Tourism: making it work for the poor and Managing Mountain Biodiversity.

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