11th December: International Mountain Day

International Mountain Day is celebrated annually on December 11. The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN declare to 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for the first time the following year, 2003.

2020 Theme: Mountain biodiversity

2019 Theme: Mountains Matter for Youth

International Mountain Day is a chance to highlight that for rural youth, living in the mountains can be hard. Migration from the mountains leads to abandoned agriculture, land degradation and a loss of ancient cultural traditions.

Education and training, market access, diverse employment opportunities, and good public services can ensure a brighter future for young people in the mountains.

Mountains are home of 15% of the world´s population and a quarter of the world’s land animals and plants. They provide fresh water for everyday life to half of humanity.

Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change and overexploitation. As the global climate continues to warm, mountain people — some of the world’s poorest — face even greater struggles to survive. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people.

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

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