why mountains matter · why mountains matter 1. global change in nature and society 2. mountains on...

Why Mountains Matter

From the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals:

Post-2015

Prof. em. Dr. Bruno Messerli Institute of Geography

University of Bern, Switzerland


1. Global Change in Nature and Society

Climate Change: 4 Scenarios 1870 – 2100

Economy – growth oriented

Environment oriented (+2°C)

Compromise scenario (realistic)

Situation 2000

°C °C

Knutti R. (ETHZ), Weingartner R. (GIUB)

The 20th Century

Driving forces behind Environmental Change

Human Population grew 4 fold

Urban Population 13

Global Economy 14

Industrial Production 40

Energy Use 13

CO2 Emission 17

Scale of Environmental Change

Freshwater Use 9 fold

Marine Fish 35

Cropland 2

Irrigated Land 5

Cattle Population 4

Life Expectancy at Birth Globally

1800: 30 1935: 35 1950: 45 2000: 67

Nothing like this had ever happened in human history. The mere fact of such growth, and its unevenness among societies, made for profound disruptions in both environment and society.

McNeill J. (2005): Modern Global Environmental History. A Turbulent and Dramatic Scenario. UPDATE of IHDP 02: 1 - 3

According to UK Government Chief Scientist Sir John Beddington

«by 2030, a ‹perfect storm› that combines food, water and energy shortages

will unleash public unrest and international conflict»

Royal Geographical Society, Newsletter Nr. 1, London 2011

Hotspots for Conflicts

Wiss. Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen 2007

F W EE

Climate induced decline of Food production Water scarcity Extreme events

Climate induced increase of



2. Mountains on the Global and Regional Agenda: From the Past to the Future

1971 UNESCO – MAB: Global 14 Man and Biosphere Programmes

Programme Nr. 6: «Man’s Impact on Mountain Ecosystem»

1971 Man and Biosphere

«Ecosystems and social systems are dynamic and inextricably linked»

2011 Stockholm: Third Nobel Laureate Symposium on Global Sustainability

2011 People and Ecosystems

Hindu Kush – Himalaya: Transect and Transboundary Landscapes Ten Major River Basins

1983 ICIMOD (International Center for Integrated Mountain Development)

Regional Member Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan. Headquarters: Kathmandu, Nepal

African Mountain Association 1986 – 2002

2013: Ruanda African Mountain Champions Committee ARCOS and MP African Water Towers Initiative

Andean Mountain Association 1991 – 2005

Cooperation after 2005: CONDESAN (Peru), Mountain Forum and MP

Rio de Janeiro 1992: Earth Summit Agenda 21 – Mountain Chapter 13: Managing Fragile Ecosystems – Sustainable Mountain Development FAO Lead Agency for the UN-System Rio + 10: Johannesburg – WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development Foundation: Mountain Partnership, FAO hosts the Secretarıat

Rio + 20: The Future We Want 3 Mountain Paragraphs: Regional centres of excellence, international support for sustainable mountain development

Rio + 30, Rio + 40, Rio + 50 ? Sensitive indicators: climate change. Water resources (food production), biological and cultural diversity, clean energy, tourism, recreation…

2000

Updated Millennium Development Goals

End poverty and hunger

Universal education

Gender equality

Health

Environmental sustainibility

Global partnership

2015

Sustainable Development Goals

Thriving lives and livelihoods

Sustainable food security

Sustainable water security

Universal clean energy

Healthy and productive ecosystems

Governance for sustainable societies

Griggs D. et al. 2013: Sustainable development goals for people and planet. Nature, Vol. 495, march 2013.




3. The Significance of Mountains: Resources and Ecosystem Services

Erciyes Dagl (3916 m), 1963

Hydrological Importance

Hyper-arid, arid Semi-arid, sub-humid

Current value of 17 ecosystem services (average)

33 trillion US $ /year

Global gross national product

18 trillion US $/year

The Value of the World’s Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital Costanza R. et al. 1997

Current value of 17 ecosystem services (average)


Global gross national product


Nival

Alpine

Montane

Uplands

Lowlands

Snowline

Treeline

Bioclimatic belts in mountains

© Ch Körner

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

0° 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80°

365 d 180 d 120 d 70 d

Season length above treeline:

Alt

itu

de

(m)

Latitude (°)

arctic boreal sub- tropical tropical

tem-perate

Mt. Everest

Mt. McKinley

Ch Körner (2003) Alpine plant life. Springer, Berlin

Compression of life zones: altitude for latitude

© Ch Körner

Alpine

Montane




3. The Significance of Mountains: Resources and Ecosystem Services

4. Appeals for the Mountains of the World 2013 – 2015: From the Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals

Appeals for the Mountains of the World 2013 – 2015: From Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals

Governments: National agendas: Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD) International agendas: Promote inclusion of SMD + Highland-Lowland Interactions.


Non-Governmental Organizations: Promote the empowerment of mountain communities and regional coope-ration. Implement local initiatives and governmental decisions for SMD.


UN-Organizations (FAO, UNEP, UNDP, UNESCO…): Support regional and transboundary cooperation and alliances for SMD. Raise awareness for mountain resources and risks (food, water, energy).


Global Organizations (IUCN, UIAA…): Promote better understanding of mountain challenges and opportunities. Provide technical support, field activities, knowledge exchange, fundraise for SMD.

An Appeal for the Mountains of the World 2013 – 2015: From Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals

Donors: Mountain regions and their inhabitants are disproportionally affected by natural and human-led disasters. Globalisation, climate change, migration, missing markets for agricultural products create uncertainty.

What could donors do: Invest in health services, schools, forest management, water supply, agriculture and food security, protected areas, eco-touristic infrastructure, conservation of cultural heritage, basic knowledge for a strategic planning of Sustainable Mountain Development.

A Special Appeal to the Scientific Community

Research Programme: People and Ecosystem Services in Mountain Regions

Two ideas could be integrated: «Highland – lowland interactive system» and a «landscape approach», probably in connection with watershed management.

Challenges: North-South cooperation, regional centres of excellence, transboundary free exchange of scientific data, scıence-polıcy dıalogue, compensation for mountain resources, strategic research for SMD, if possible engagement in the global research programme «Future Earth».

Proposal: Mountain Partnership and Mountain Forum, one voice instead of two.

Publications: ‹Mountain Research and Development› (IMS – International Mountain Society) ‹EcoMont› (Austria) and ‹Journal of Mountain Science› (China)

Maurice Strong:

«Founder» of UNEP 1972, Secretary-General of the Earth Summit in Rio 1992.

Key-note speaker at the inauguration of the ICIMOD in Kathmandu 1983:

Mountain Regions not only represent the most spectacular and beautiful of the ecosystems which make up our «Only One Earth», but are indispensable to the survival and well-being of a substantial portion of its inhabitants.

Dynamic Environments: Living with Uncertainty

Human Resources: Investing in the Future

Ch Körner (2003) Alpine plant life. Springer, Berlin

The alpine life zone across the globe

Tierra del

Fuego

South

0

2

4

6

8

North Equator

80° 70° 60° 50° 40° 30° 20° 10° 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 0°

Alps Atlas

Kilimanjaro

Scandi-navia

Himalayas

Mexico California

Andes

New Guinea

Australia

New Zealand

Tundra

Rocky Mts. Andes

Alt

itu

de

(km

)

© Ch Körner

The montane life zone across the globe

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