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16/03/2010
2010 Red Rock Rendezvous
Located about 15 miles west of Las Vegas, the Red Rock escarpment offers an estimated 1,700 different climbing routes of all grades and lengths. The area, officially named the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area(RRCNCA)and administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, will host the 7th edition of the American largest outdoor climbing festival. The festival will go on from Friday 19 until Sunday 21 March. All climbers, from beginner to advanced, can enjoy on this occasion plenty of challenging clinics.
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16/03/2010
Protected areas helping people cope with climate change
“Managing natural ecosystems as carbon sinks and resources for adaptation is increasingly recognised as a necessary, efficient and relatively cost-effective strategy to help reduce climate change impacts”, asserts Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, in his preface on the book “Natural Solutions”. The world’s protected area network already helps mitigate and adapt to climate change. These areas store 15 per cent of terrestrial carbon and supply ecosystem services for disaster reduction, water supply, food and public health, all of which enable community-based adaptation.
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10/03/2010
Half a million Ugandans at risk of landslides
300,000 people in Eastern Uganda have left their homes and 500,000 are at risk of being hit by landslides. "Since it is continuing to rain, we are likely to experience more landslides", said the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness Musa Ecweru. Ecweru said that those displaced in the districts of Butaleja, Budaka and Tororo have lost all their food crops and livestock, which were washed away by floods , and are now in need of relief. He attributed the landslides to increasing population which has led people to settle on mountain slopes.
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09/03/2010
Global biodiversity loss increases
Ahmed Djoghlaf, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, warned that unprecedented biodiversity loss is occurring. Today’s rate of species extinction may be 1,000 times higher than the natural rate. At this rate, one-third to two-thirds of all species of plants, animals, and other organisms would be lost during the second half of the next century. In the Andean Region less and less cultivable lands are available because of the absorption of carbon dioxide. According to the report, “Huella Ecológica y biocapacidad en la Comunidad Andina” from 1961 to 2005 biocapicity in Andean countries decreased of 65%. The most important cause seems to be population growth.
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02/03/2010
The new Latin-American Congress on Potatoes in Cusco
Potato genetic resources conservation will be the new central theme of the Latin-American Association on Potatoes Issues Congress of 2010 “Asociación Latinoamericana de la Papa” (ALAP) which will be held in Cuzco, Peru from 23rd to 28th of May. ALAP is organizing a special call for professors and researchers who want to make presentations, describe their work and debate on the issue of potatoes. The side event, “El Simposio Internacional de Recursos Genéticos de la Papa” (the International Symposium of Genetic Resources of Potatoes) will be also held on this occasion.
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23/02/2010
Climate meeting in April aims at reviving UN process
Talks will take place in April for planning the next steps in the effort toward a global treaty on climate change, Danish Minister for Climate and Energy Lykke Friis said Monday. The meeting will take place in Bonn on 9-11 April gathering senior officials of signatories of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said Friis, whose country currently chairs the negotiating process. The date was set at a meeting of the UNFCCC bureau, tasked with drawing up a calendar of meetings for 2010 in the aftermath of the controversial climate summit in Copenhagen in December, the Danish news agency Ritzau said.
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18/02/2010
Tajikistan facing water shortages and climate extremes, report warns
The ancient, mountainous state of Tajikistan is facing water shortages, rising temperatures and climate extremes. A report released today by Oxfam details fast-rising temperatures, melting glaciers in the Pamir mountains, increased disease, drought, landslides and food shortages. Temperatures plummeted to -20C for more than a month in 2008-09 and temperatures in the south of the country near Afghanistan have risen several degrees above normal, said the report. About 20% of the country's 8,492 glaciers are in retreat and 30% more are likely to retreat or disappear by 2050, said Ilhomjon Rajabov, head of the state's climate change department. The largest glacier, Fedchenko, has lost 44 sq km, or 6% of its volume, in the last 34 years.
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15/02/2010
Climate scientist says Himalayan glacier report is 'robust and rigorous'
The scientist at the centre of the storm over mistakes by the UN's climate change panel defend his report as "robust and rigorous". Martin Parry, a climate expert at the Grantham Institute and Centre for Environmental Policy of London, said he was perplexed at the way the media has focused on what he called minor points. Parry was co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) working group on impacts, which produced the report with the false claim that Himalayan glaciers would melt by 2035. More ...
11/02/2010
Under pressure
Forests are globally important in regulating climate and are locally important in sustaining communities and supporting biodiversity. For this reason , IUCN is central to an emerging initiative called Growing Forest Partnerships (GFP). Funded by the World Bank, it supports partnerships and initiatives developed by forest-dependent people and those who use, manage or regulate forests. GFP is establishing a platform for civil society dialogue involving the various stakeholders about the approach towards developing forestry policy at the national and local levels. This partnership tackles the root causes of the world’s most pressing issues such as poverty, biodiversity loss and climate change. More ...
10/02/2010
Gojal claims for urgent attention
A month has passed since the devastating landslide of Atabad Hunza. The Karakoram Highway (KKH), the lifeline of communication between Pakistan and China lies blocked. The level of the lake rises by an average of 2.6 feet per day. The water has already inundated 3.5km. of KKH, 900 canals of land, thousands of orchards and 11 houses. According to experts, the lake could submerge 187 houses, displacing 1,736 people. The Frontier Works Organisation is working on the excavation of spillways. The authorities have given March 15 as the deadline for the release of the water.
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10/02/2010
Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in the Eastern Himalayas
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) announces the release of the book, "Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in the Eastern Himalayas". It highlights the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems to climate change and the potential impacts on biodiversity, water availability, agriculture, hazards, and general human well-being. The book is an evaluation based on the results of surveys, workshops, stakeholder consultations, and technical papers which develops preliminary climate projections and assess climate change vulnerability. It aims to inform about conservation policy at a national and regional level, and stimulate the research on this matter. More ...
02/02/2010
The Equator Prize 2010
Equator Initiative announces the opening of the call for nominations for the Equator Prize 2010: Celebrating Community Success in Biodiversity Conservation and Poverty Reduction. The Equator Prize recognizes community-based initiatives that demonstrate extraordinary achievement in reducing poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the equatorial belt. Prize winners will receive worldwide recognition for their work as well as an opportunity to help shape national and global policy and practice in the field. The Equator Prize 2010 nomination process will be open until February 28th. More ...
01/02/2010
The erosion of biodiversity is as big a global challenge as climate change.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, opened the “Biodiversity Science Policy Conference” on Monday by underlining that preserving biological diversity represents “as big a global challenge as climate change”. A project was launched to create an intergovernmental platform on biodiversity and ecosystems services to promote exchange between scientists and policy-makers, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Jean-Louis Borloo, French Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Sea, expressed hope that the platform would be established “before the end of the year”. More ...
25/01/2010
People decry government's inaction as lake threat rises
It is 23 days since the massive landslide hit Atabad village, blocking the Karakoram Highway, the only link land between China and Pakistan, bringing to halt the civic and commercial life in Gojal. An artificial glacial lake has formed on the Hunza River inundating a number of villages in Gojal. The rise in the level of the lake water is endangering thousands of lives upstream and downstream the Hunza and Gilgit districts. Niaz Wali, a geologist of Focus, informed that the water is rising with an average of 1.1 meters in 24 hours and the water inflow in the lake is 250 cubic meters per second. He said the inflow could increase with the rise in the temperature.
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19/01/2010
Himalayan glacier controversy
As the controversy over retreating Himalayan glaciers took a new turn, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said, India stood vindicated with a UN body moving to retract its own warning that the glaciers would melt by 2035 due to climate change. Ramesh slammed as ‘alarmist’ the warning by Rajendra Pachauri’s Nobel-prize winning Inter-government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that the glaciers would vanish and said it was without any scientific basis. “The health of the glaciers is a cause of grave concern but the IPCC’s alarmist position was not based on scientific evidence; in fact, we had issued a report that the glaciers, have not retreated abnormally” Ramesh told reporters.
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18/01/2010
DynAlp-climate
Climate change is particularly noticeable in the Alps and for this reason the network of municipalities of the Alps has decided to support its members embracing a sustainable approach to the issue of climate change. The new dynAlp-climate programme was designed to incentivise municipalities in adopting specific activities on climate change. Alliance in the Alps promotes networking and the exchange of experience as part of dynAlp-climate by organising events at the local, regional and international level. It also plans to formulate policy positions for a sustainable and environmentally sound approach to climate change. More ...
07/01/2010
2010 International Year of Biodiversity
The United Nations is marking 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity, with a slew of events highlighting the vital role the phenomenon plays in maintaining the life support system on Planet Earth. “Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is essential to sustaining the living networks and systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend. Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on every day. But we can prevent them,” said the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
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21/12/2009
Villagers flee volcano danger zone
More than 3,000 villagers remaining in a no-go zone around the Philippines' rumbling Mayon volcano have started evacuating the area after officials threatened to force them out. Scientists have warned that powerful booms emanating from the country's most active volcano, located about 330 kilometres south-east of Manila, indicate that a major eruption is imminent. Just over 9,200 families or nearly 44,400 people have already taken shelter in the evacuation centres since Mayon started belching ash, steam and lava last week. The 2,460-metre volcano has erupted 48 times in recorded history.
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14/12/2009
The Alpine Climate Portal
On the occasion of the Copenhagen Talks and to honor the International Mountain Day, the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention launches the new Alpine Climate Portal. The webpage of the Alpine Convention on Climate Change has the purpose to contribute to the implementation of the Action Plan on Climate Change in the Alps adopted in March 2009 by the Contracting Parties of the Alpine Convention. The Alpine States have agreed to make the Alpine region a model region regarding the problem of climate change, and this website will be an interactive tool to support this objective. More ...
10/12/2009
UN chief optimistic of robust climate deal
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon predicted Tuesday that a robust agreement to combat climate change will be reached in Copenhagen and implemented immediately.Ban said for the Copenhagen conference to be a success, the agreement must include ambitious reductions in carbon emissions by developed countries as well as ambitious actions by poorer developing countries to curb emissions. Rich nations must also provide financial support and technological assistance to help developing countries limit their emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change, including floods and drought, he said. More ...
10/12/2009
International Mountain Day 2009
This year's International Mountain Day theme is Disaster Risk Management
Mountains are hazardous places. Many mountain communities live under the threat of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, landslides and floods. Many are the factors that cause people to live in these vulnerable situations: ties of kinship and community, a culturally different notion of risk and last but not least, poverty.
This year’s International Mountain Day (11 December) aims to raise awareness on the high number of natural hazards in mountain areas and the high vulnerability of mountain communities. It draws attention to sustainable agricultural, pasture and forestry practices as key elements of risk reduction as well as the need to develop integrated strategies and policies at a national level.
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09/12/2009
The third Issue of Karakoram Knowledge Highway-KKH
Karakoram Area Development Organisation-KADO has just released the print and online version of the third Issue of Karakoram Knowledge Highway-KKH.
KKH is the first multidisciplinary development and research journal from Karakoram aimed at to generate and disseminate rigorous research manuscripts and scholarly works, on different aspects of the high Asia Mountains and its people. It publishes research manuscripts, theoretical papers, review articles, lessons learnt in development interventions, success stories on social, economical, environmental, geographical, cultural, technological aspects of mountain communities in Gilgit-Baltistan and the surrounding mountain communities.
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04/12/2009
Ice Care: Climbing for climate
On the 7th December starts the Copenhagen Summit and the Ice Care team will be on its way to the Mount Kilimanjaro. On the 11th December the UN celebrates the “International Mountain Day” and on that day some members of the Ice Care will reach the top of Africa and its glaciers.
Ice Care is a project based on sports intervention. Their mentors face several challenges and develop social actions to call attentions on the growing problem of global warming, emphasising its effects on glaciers.
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02/12/2009
Oasi Zegna and the International Mountain Day
Oasi Zegna is a wide protected area that extends between the Alps and the Po Valley, in Piedmont near Biella, in the north west of Italy. This area is the ideal place where to experience mountain life.
After several projects focusing on protecting environmental heritage and teaching to respect nature, Oasi Zegna is now giving particular attention to international initiatives.
On Saturday 12th December, to celebrate the International Mountain Day, Oasi Zegna will organize at Bielmonte (1500 meters above sea level), “La montagna di notte”, a nightly hike with snowshoes together with the biologist Matteo Negro who will provide an introduction to the area.
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26/11/2009
An original approach to sustainable mobility in mountain areas
SWOMM 2009 – Scientific Workshop on Mountain Mobility and Transport, 5th Edition New Perspectives of Urban Mobility in Tourist Towns 11th of December 2009 The main focus of the SWOMM 2009 edition will be placed on sustainable urban mobility in tourist towns and on the innovative tools and policies of mobility management aiming at reducing the environmental. More ...
23/11/2009
Kyrgyzstan: Fewer glaciers, more deserts
Rapidly melting glaciers in mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan over the next few decades could lead to increased desertification and land degradation; living standards, the economy and the environment will be affected according to experts.
By the end of the century, we could see temperatures rising 4-6 degrees centigrade, and by 2050 the number of glaciers could fall from 8,200 to 142. Abaikhanova, environment programme adviser with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said, “Glacier melt would reduce the amount of water available for drinking and irrigation. We need to reconsider "agricultural zoning" to ensure food security and to identify how the soil will change, what type of adaptation measures will be needed in crop production, animal husbandry and preserving pasturelands in the country." More ...
19/11/2009
FAO Summit boosts agriculture to end hunger
The World Summit on Food Security was held in Rome during the last three days.
The international community committed itself to invest more in agriculture and to eradicate hunger at the earliest date.
FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf declared, “The poor and the hungry cannot wait. Together we can eradicate hunger from our planet but we must move from words to actions”.
FAO had proposed setting a target of 2025 for the total eradication of hunger and increasing Official Development Assistance to agriculture to $44 billion per year for investment in developing-country agriculture and rural infrastructure .
The Summit also agreed to face the challenges of climate change to food security and the need for adaptation of, and mitigation in agriculture with particular attention to small agricultural producers and vulnerable populations.
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11/11/2009
Glorious vision in Kenya's sky melts away
Mt. Kenya's ice cap was so stunning that people use to revere it as God's home. But most of the shining glacier has disappeared and now the worshippers wonder if God is dead. For those who still practice tribal religions and revere Mt. Kenya the environmental alterations is a sign of God's fury, a punishment for younger people abandoning and violating traditions. The 17,057-foot mountain has lost 92% of its glacier cover over the last 100 years, and experts predict the ice will disappear by 2050. More ...
04/11/2009
Melting Kyrgyz glaciers pose threat
All of Kyrgyzstan's 2,200 glaciers could melt within a century, says Bakutbek Ermenbaev, a Kyrgyz hydrogeologist who works for the Government hydrogeology agency. The agency has been monitoring the melting of the glaciers for the past 50 years and they have rapidly decreased by about 20 percent. The Kyrgyz glaciers and those in Tajikistan are vital to the water supply of Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan's neighbours, such as Uzbekistan - which has a thirsty cotton growing industry - rely on the glaciers for their water supplies More ...
26/10/2009
China and India agree to cooperate on climate change policy
China and India have signed a pact to coordinate their efforts on renewable energy and research into the effects of climate change on Himalayan glaciers.
The two nations will also form a joint working group that will meet once a year to synchronize policies on this matter.
The timing of the announcement highlights the importance of maintaining a show of unity on the climate issue, despite tensions between the two nations. Indeed, China and India are among the leaders of the G77 bloc of developing nations, who have consistently argued that they should not be obliged to set internationally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gases.
As China is the world's biggest emitter and India the fourth, one of the central goals of the Copenhagen summit has became finding a formula that encourages these nations to make verifiable commitments to climate change while leaving room for their economies to develop. More ...
19/10/2009
XIII World Forestry Congress: Forests and Water Common Goals with Uncommon Approaches
Three sessions on Forest and Water Research and Management as well as a side event will be held at the World Forestry Congress, organized by FAO.The first session on 20 October will focus on the “Recent Experiences in Watershed Management”, the second session on 21 October is “The Hydrological Impacts of Plantations in a Changing Climate” and the third session is entitled “Forests for Water, Water for Forests”. The side event “Forests and Water: The Challenges of Cross-Sectoral Cooperation”, will be held on 23 October and is an important opportunity to share information and to enhance learning and collaboration amongst participating experts and institutions.
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15/10/2009
K2, Baltoro cleaned: Mountaineers thank EvK2Cnr
In the early summer, eight tons of waste were carried downstream including paper, plastic, cans, glass and toxic materials by the initiative “Keep Baltoro Clean”, launched by EvK2Cnr.The Baltoro Glacier is one of the longest glaciers outside of the polar regions, and runs through part of the Karakoram mountain range. The project aims to educate and inform local people, tourists and mountaineers on RECYCLING WASTE. The lessons are held in tents, in Concordia, the base of the "Keep Baltoro Clean ", where a Pakistani staff member teaches to how to walk on galciers through practical demonstrations. Hundreds of people have attended the lessons and contributed to the cleaning operation. Mountaineers such as Ueli Steck and Veikka Gustafsson have commented on this initiative. " I'm glad that we talk to the people about the waste problem. It's the first time that I come to Pakistan and it's a great atmosphere,” says Steck. "It’s great to see you doing something for this common problem, ' says Gustafsson "mountaineers must be an example. We are guests and we have no right to leave any waste behind us”. More ...
14/10/2009
1.02 billion Hungry people in 2009 - FAO hunger report published
The combination of food and economic crises has pushed the number of hungry people worldwide to historic levels - more than one billion people are undernourished, according to FAO estimates. Nearly all the world's undernourished live in developing countries according FAO's annual hunger report. “The State of Food Insecurity” produced this year in collaboration with WFP was published before World Food Day, to be celebrated on 16 October 2009. Even before the recent crises, the number of undernourished people in the world had been increasing slowly but steadily for the past decade, the report says. More ...
09/10/2009
Advocates Fight Mountaintop Removal
Environmental groups across the southeast United States, from Georgia to the Appalachia region, are stepping up their opposition to a controversial but widespread practice by coal companies of removing the tops of mountains with explosives. Atlanta-based activist Darci Rodenhi recently organised an ad hoc group called Mountain Justice GA, which lobbied the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Atlanta regional office to reject 79 new permits for mountaintop removal. The EPA denied the permits earlier this month, saying the applications were in violation of the Clean Water Act. More ...
09/10/2009
Explosive volcano highlights eruption risk
The violent eruption of the Chaiteìn volcano in Chile last year has shown the high speed with which magma can burst through the earth's crust, according to a European study. The finding has prompted warnings for closer monitoring of potentially active volcanoes around the world. The violent and unexpected nature of the blasts, together with their rarity, means the Chaiteìn eruption is the first rhyolite event to have been scientifically assessed in this way. By documenting the speed with which the magma reached the surface, the researchers have now provided a measure for comparing the activity of other rhyolite volcanoes. More ...
05/10/2009
Rain, landslides threaten Indonesian earthquake victims
Heavy rain threatened to trigger more landslides and hamper delivery of desperately needed aid Monday on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where thousands of people were buried by last week's powerful earthquake. It was unclear precisely how many people were without shelter Monday, but more than 83 000 houses were destroyed or badly damaged in 10 affected districts, according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency. Teams were scrambling to clear roads of dirt, boulders and trees. Several villages were only reachable by foot, although some heavy equipment was on the way. More ...
03/10/2009
2009 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festivals
The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festivals is an opportunity to learn more about mountain and to connect with the wider mountain community and network with other mountain people. “It almost makes more sense to have a mountain festival in these challenging times”, says Shannon O’Donoghue, the Festival Director. During this event there will be a selection of the world’s best skiing, climbing, slacklining, paddling, unicycling, and mountain-biking films together with speakers, workshops, debates, an art and craft sale, readings, interviews, live music, yoga, photo exhibitions, and a mountain trade show. The festival will run from October 31 to November 8. More ...
01/10/2009
New ideas for life in the Alps in the post-fossil age
Last week's annual CIPRA conference on the subject of growth attracted some 200 attendees to Liechtenstein. There was a consensus that the planet's limited resources mean that population growth is finite. Numerous ideas were offered and calls made for a response to the inevitable downsizing process. CIPRA summarised the most urgent calls in a catalogue of ideas. CIPRA also took advantage of the conference to involve the Alps, which are impacted by the global cycles, and to promote a dialogue at several levels. The 200 attendees from various countries made full use of the workshops, discussions and personal contacts. There was a general agreement that in order to escape from the dictates of growth, new ideas are needed in terms of satisfaction, acceptable levels of income and the quality of life. More ...
01/10/2009
Neglected Land Washing Away
The damage to wetlands high in Lesotho's Maluti mountains has impacts on the health of the whole of the Orange-Senqu river system. The wetlands in this mountainous region stabilise soil, retain sediment and contribute to river flow from this area of high rainfall. In so doing, they indirectly support the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which captures water in dams and supplies it to water-thirsty South African industry and agriculture. The water Lesotho sells to South Africa is the mountain kingdom's largest source of foreign income. However, a combination of factors, including infrastructure development, overgrazing and cultivation and the resulting erosion, has led to the wetlands being degraded. More ...
21/09/2009
Call to save glaciers from effects of climate change
Environmentalists at a consultative seminar entitled `Role of Pakistan¿s Civil Society in the Upcoming Bangkok Negotiations asked the international community to help India and Pakistan in saving the Himalayan glaciers from the harmful effects of climate change. Arshad H Abbassi, Water Expert, said ¿It is time that the global leadership and community work with Pakistani and Indian leaders to save Himalayan glaciers by solving the long-standing Siachen dispute¿. Not only is this conflict adding to environmental degradation, sea level rise and changing climate pattern but it is also depriving the poor of both countries of close to one billion dollars every year that these countries spend to maintain troops there. It was highlighted that the Siachen glacier was melting at an unprecedented rate due to deployment of troops and establishment of permanent cantonments. More ...
18/09/2009
Climate change forming dangerous high-altitude lakes
Melting glaciers and landslides are combining to create huge high-altitude lakes in the Himalayas that could cut off water to millions of people - and then sweep away towns when they collapse. "The most likely thing we are going to see soon is an increased level in giant landslides in mountainous terrains, huge collapses, millions of cubic metres of rock," said Professor Bill McGuire, director of the Benfield Hazard Research Centre at University College London. He said these had already happened in recent years in places like Alaska and the Caucasus, and that in the world's biggest mountain range in Asia, landslides combined with melting glaciers could pose a lethal threat. More ...
15/09/2009
Conference Brings Attention to Himalayan Climate Threat
Scientists, policymakers, and community representatives from across South Asia met to discuss the many threats that climate change poses to the continent's Greater Himalayan region. Across Nepal and Tibet, average temperatures have been up to six times warmer in the mountains than in the plains, triggering changes in regional weather patterns. These changes have been accompanied by increases in pest and disease populations, losses in local biodiversity. "Accelerated melting of glaciers in the Himalayas is posing a catastrophic threat to the 1.3 billion people in (the region's) river basins," said Uday Sharma, secretary of Nepal's Ministry of Environment, who attended the meeting in Kathmandu. Participants at the event called on climate change negotiators gathering in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December to give greater attention to the plight of the Himalayan region as they finalize a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol.
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11/09/2009
Flying frogs and the world's oldest mushroom: a decade of Himalayan discovery
An ultramarine blue flower which changes colour in response to temperature, a flying frog and the world's oldest mushroom preserved in amber are among the 350 new species discovered in the Eastern Himalayas over the past 10 years. But experts warn the new discoveries are under pressure from demand for land and climate change. The species newly discovered between 1998 and 2008 make the mountainous region of Eastern Himalayas, one of the world's most important biological hotspots. A report published by the WWF, affirms that population growth, deforestation, the wildlife trade , pollution, hydropower development, etc. have all contributed to the pressures on the fragile ecosystems in the region. Only 25 percent of the original habitats in the region remain intact and 163 species that live in the Eastern Himalayas are considered globally threatened. More ...
07/09/2009
The tunnels of AlpTransit are necessary but not enough
A study recently published by the Initiative of the Alps, affirms that without the adoption of additional measures, the opening of the Gotthard rail tunnel in 2017 will be able to transfer from road to rail only 2.5% of good transported. The Gotthard base tunnel shortens the route and time of transport through the Alps, but not enough to reduce transport costs to attract large percentage of freight from road to rail. The Alpine Initiative is asking the adoption of additional measures, such as an Alpine transit exchange, the introduction of a system for trading emission certificates and / or adjustments of fees and tolls for the use of roads. More ...
04/09/2009
Africa threatens walkout from climate talks
Africa's climate change negotiators led by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi have threatened to withdraw from the upcoming global climate change talks. The Ethiopian PM said Africa might have to walk out if the December climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, failed to agree with Africa’s minimum position. According to Africa's common position paper, the continent wants huge financial support (estimated at US$300 billion) and technology transfer from the West for mitigation and adaptation activities to curb the impact of climate crisis on the continent. “We will never accept any global deal that does not limit global warming to the minimum unavoidable level, no matter what level of compensation and assistance is promised to us,” Mr Zenawi said. More ...
04/09/2009
Ban Ki-Moon Speech at World Climate Conference -3
The Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon gave his speech at World Climate Conference-3 in Geneva, 3 September 2009. “many of the international panel on climate change's more distant scenarios are happening now” he said. “we are not just changing the environment. Climate change is altering the geopolitical landscape.” The conference was organized to provide policy makers the scientific information they need to build climate policy based on sound science. The Secretary-General experienced personally the negative and alarming consequences of climate change, visiting many countries such as Bangladesh, to see how to prevent disasters, making some necessary preparations for disaster risk reductions. “We need creative ideas, creative commitments...let us work together to seal the deal in Copenhagen" he said. More ...
02/09/2009
Study: climate cuts mountains down to size
Climate, and not the upward thrust of Earth's clashing tectonic plates, is the main factor limiting the height of mountains across the globe, according to a study published in the British journal Nature. The peaks of Mount Everest and K2, might have been even higher were it not for what scientists call the "buzzsaw" effect of glaciers that form when temperatures stay below a certain threshold. The study, showed that peaks are generally prevented from thrusting more than 1,500 meters above the line where snow permanently forms. The findings also explains why none of the world's tallest mountains are found anywhere near the North or South Poles; the reason is simply that the snowline is higher at lower latitudes than at higher latitudes. The idea that massive blocks of moving ice shave off layers from mountain tops is not new, but the study is the first to gather data on all the world's mountain ranges into a single model and check it against mathematical simulations. More ...
22/07/2009
Mountains are highlighted by the G8 summit
The G8 Summit, hosted in Italy between 8 -10 July was held at L’Aquila. The city lays on a hillside surrounded by the Apennine Mountains, with the spectacular Mount Gran Sasso to the north-east. An unusual scenario for a political summit, yet very symbolic: for the first time since the beginning of G8 summits, the mountains are part of the debate between the most important Heads of State and Governments of the world. The G8 meeting agreed to mobilise $20 billion over three years for a comprehensive strategy focussing on sustainable agricultural development.
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03/07/2009
Sikkim's largest glacier melting
Alarmed by the reports of receding of Sikkim’s larger Zemu glacier in the eastern Himalayas, which is the main source of water for Teesta River, due to global warming, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has asked for an "authentic report". A status report on all glaciers was prepared by a study team comprising eminent experts at the initiative of the Science and Technology department last year. Forest and Wildlife Secretary S T Lachungpa said he would soon form a committee on climate change to study the impact of global warming on glaciers in the Himalayan state before compiling a report. It would take a couple of months to study the physical status of the Zemu glacier, he said. More ...
01/07/2009
Dolomites get World Heritage status
Italy's Dolomites mountains on Friday became a World Heritage Site. Announcing its decision in Seville, a United Nations heritage panel praised the Alpine range as ''one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere.'' The World Heritage Committee panel voted unanimously for the stunning mountain range. The Dolomites - named after the dolomite rock that gives them their special colour and shape - were formed around 90 million years ago, when the landmasses that are now Europe and Africa came together and pushed the Alps up out of the sea. The reefs and coral that once surrounded lagoons, home to thousands of marine organisms, helped create the Dolomites' striking appearance and its unusual geological characteristics. UNESCO has since the 1970s listed places of ''outstanding universal value'', deeming them so precious as to belong to humanity in general, not just the country where they are located. More ...
01/07/2009
Aquila: the future is in high altitude
The project “SHARE” of EvK2Cnr will contribute to the revitalization of the Italian city of Aquila, destined to become, in the near future, a crucial centre for research of high altitude . A weather station will be located at Gran Sasso Mountain to study the pollution and the atmosphere in the Mediterranean area and an international database for high altitude researches will be created. An agreement between the Italian research institute and University of Aquila, was reached today. More ...
22/06/2009
One sixth of humanity hungry - more than ever before
World hunger is projected to reach a historic high in 2009 with 1 020 million people going hungry every day, according to new figures published by FAO. The most recent increase in hunger is not the consequence of poor global harvests, but is caused by the world economic crisis that has resulted in lower incomes and increased unemployment. This has reduced access to food by the poor. "The silent hunger crisis - affecting one sixth of all of humanity - poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions" said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. More ...
15/06/2009
Imja Tsho Action Event 2009 - Beat the GLOF Action Run & Khumbu Festival
The Imja Tsho glacial lake in the Khumbu has been identified as the most threatening and likely to burst its banks at any time. If it was to happen it would unleash a catastrophic Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) causing devastation along the downstream valleys affecting communities and the ecology of the mountains, hill regions and also the dense populated areas of the Gangetic plains. The Beat the GLOF Action Run on 18th June 2009 is an event to show the world what lies in the path of destruction. The 42 km Action Run starts at IMJA Lake (5010m), the source of the biggest threat to the people of the Khumbu, and ends at Khumjung Village School, the first school built by Sir Edmund Hillary in Nepal. After the Action Run, on 19th June, the Khumbu Festival will be held in Khumjung village with the support of World Wildlife Fund Nepal (WWF Nepal) and ICIMOD. More ...
04/06/2009
World Environment Day
World Environment Day (WED)is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The theme for WED 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests. This year’s host is Mexico, reflecting the growing role of the Latin American country in the fight against climate change, including its growing participation in the carbon markets. More ...
02/06/2009
Climate change is making Everest ascent harder
A Nepali Sherpa who holds the world record for climbing Mount Everest said that rising temperatures were melting snow and turning the slopes barren, making it even harder to scale the world's tallest peak. The Sherpa carried a banner during his expedition that read: "Stop Climate Change; Let the Himalayas Live!". Environmental activists say rising temperatures are rapidly shrinking the Himalayan glaciers from which several Asian rivers originate, threatening the lives of millions of people who depend on them for water. More ...
02/06/2009
Huge undersea mountain found off Indonesia
A massive underwater mountain has been discovered off the Indonesian island of Sumatra and scientists say it could be a volcano with potentially catastrophic power. The cone-shaped mountain is 4,600 metres (15,100 feet) high, 50 kilometres in diameter at its base and its summit is 1,300 metres below the surface. The ultra-deep geological survey was conducted with the help of French scientists and international geophysical company CGGVeritas. More ...
27/05/2009
Himalayas Weather Station repaired
The harsh Himalayan winter has taken its toll on the highest winter weather station in the world, installed a year ago at 8000 metres from the Share Everest Expedition. After a year of work on tracking weather date, sensors and cables had been destroyed by wind, the solar panels were caked in ice and the batteries had run out . The complex and delicate repair operation was conducted without oxygen and in extreme conditions by Silvio Mondinelli and EvK2Cnr team, through a young Italian researcher, Elisa Vuillermo. More ...
25/05/2009
Peru recognizes private conservation areas on community lands in high Andes
The government of Peru has recognized two private conservation areas on community lands in the Cordillera Vilcanota, near Machu Picchu, that protect threatened Polylepis forests, for the benefit of local communities and endangered wildlife. The project, sponsored by the American Bird Conservancy in conjunction with its Peruvian partner group Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), has been working with local communities towards the creation of a number of planned forest reserves, which are being made possible by sustainable development projects benefitting local citizens. "A new method of community-based conservation has been established through the Vilcanota project. This is biodiversity conservation by and for the local people" said Hugo Arnal, ABC's Director of International Sustainable Conservation. More ...
19/05/2009
Under Andean ice, a Golden prize
An ambitious gold mining project in Northern Chile, high up in the Andes close to ancient glaciers, is finally getting underway amid the economic downturn and despite fears from environmentalists. The Chilean Environment Minister Ana Lya Uriarte portrayed the project as a delicate balancing act. "We will not allow damage to our glaciers," she said, "the project was approved with a series of conditions and demands whose importance is tantamount." But environmentalists are not convinced and are saying the protection of the glaciers is being compromised. More ...
14/05/2009
Global Change in Mountain Regions: The MRI newsletter
The Mountain Research Initiative presents the second edition of the biannual MRI Newsletter which covers a wide range of subjects related to global change science in the mountain regions of the world. In this edition, water plays a crucial role in many of the articles, which recalls an Uzbek saying: “Wherever the water ends, the earth ends as well”. MRI emphasizes and highlights interdisciplinary and applied projects such as the new Peruvian-Swiss Programme on Climate Change Adaptation “Advancing towards Integrated Climate Change Research, Implementation and Science-Policy Dialogue”. The newsletter underlines issues like the 5th World Water Forum (Istanbul 2009) and the Mountain Hydrology under Increasing Climate Variability and Anthropogenic Pressure. More ...
11/05/2009
UN forum calls for urgent action to protect forests in world
The United Nations Forum on Forests concluded its works this weekend in preparation of the upcoming climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. The forum called for strengthened unprecedented levels of coordination and enhanced cooperation to bring sustainable forest management strategies into relevant programs and processes, such as those on climate change, biodiversity and water resources management. The forum brought a 360-degree perspective on all types of forests around the world, focusing on everything from complete protection on one hand to sustainable use of forest products on the other, with climate, biodiversity and people within the scope of that global perspective.
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11/05/2009
Indigenous Peoples’Global Summit on Climate Change
The Inuit Circumpolar Council hosted 20-24 April, 2009 in Anchorage, Alaska a Global Summit on Climate Change that brought together indigenous delegates and observers.
The purpose of the summit was to enable indigenous peoples from all regions of the globe to exchange their knowledge and experience in adapting to the impacts of climate change, and to develop key messages and recommendations to be articulated to the world at the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009.
More ...
04/05/2009
Climate disaster looms but Nepal oblivious to danger
Climate experts call Nepal a “hot spot” because the average temperature rise that the country has experiences is six times more than the global average. In Northern Nepal, glaciers are receding. In the middle belt, forest fires are ravaging the hills and a withering drought has decimated farmlands. In the south, there have been flash floods last year, and everything from fires to droughts this year. “Climate is changing. Let´s learn to accept the fact; now our only role is to be prepared to deal with the changes that are further to come,” says climate change expert Ngamindra Dahal. More ...
04/05/2009
Bolivia's Chacaltaya glacier is gone
At 17,388 feet above sea level, Chacaltaya, an 18,000 year-old glacier that delighted thousands of visitors for decades, is gone, completely melted away as of some sad, undetermined moment early this year. ''Chacaltaya has disappeared. It no longer exists,'' said Dr. Edson Ramirez, head of an international team of scientists that has studied the glacier since 1991. He believes the disappearance of Chacaltaya is an indication of the potent effects at higher elevations of the interaction of greenhouse gas accumulation and an increase in average global temperatures. Researchers fear that Chacaltaya's fate will be shared by other glaciers in other areas of Bolivia, and in Peru and Ecuador as well More ...
27/04/2009
Third Pole Project Tackles Climate Change in Himalayan Region
EJN has formed a partnership with ChinaDialogue.net to focus on the climate change issues affecting the Himalayan region and downstream countries. Because of their vast ice reserves, rivaling those of the North and South Poles, the Himalayas are often referred to as "the third pole." The Third Pole Project aims to provide training and other forms of support to journalists from Himalayan countries and those downstream in the Mekong region , in order to improve media coverage of the impacts of climate change on the region. More ...
07/04/2009
Mountain spine is a quake hotspot
Scientists said a killer earthquake that struck central Italy on Monday occurred in a notorious trouble spot and warned further powerful shocks in the coming months could not be ruled out.
The pre-dawn temblor, measuring 6.2 magnitude, struck in the central Apennines, the mountainous spine that runs down Italy, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Rome, the Italian geophysical institute said.
The historic town of L'Aquila bore the brunt of the big shake, and scores of people were dead or missing, according to rescue officials. More ...
03/04/2009
Climate 'fans Nepal fires'
The forest fires that flared unusually viciously in many of Nepal's parks and conserved areas this dry season have left conservationists worried if climate change played a role in them. Most of the big fires were in and around the national parks along the country's northern areas bordering Tibet. The prolonged dryness this year, like other extreme events in recent years, could be related to climate change, but there is no proper basis to confirm that, and the reason why is a lack of study, observation, and data that could have helped to reach into some conclusion (Arun Bhakta Shrestha, climate change expert of the Kahtmandu-based International Centre for the Integrated Mountain Development). More ...
02/04/2009
The Biology of Alpine Habitats
"The Biology of Alpine Habitats" is the new book of Laszlo Nagy and Georg Grabherr, which provides a global overview of alpines habitats that occur above the natural tree line, describing the factors that have shaped them over both ecological and evolutionary timescale. The book considers habitat-forming factors and their impact on habitat characteristics. It includes a critical assessment of the potential impacts of climate change, atmospheric pollutants and land use related to management and conservation options available for these unique habitats. More ...
31/03/2009
The Changing Himalayas
ICIMOD recently published a paper on ‘The Changing Himalayas: Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Livelihoods in the Greater Himalayas’. The greater Himalayan region contains the largest areas covered by glaciers and permafrost outside the polar regions. The region and its water resources play an important role in global atmospheric circulation, biodiversity, agriculture, and hydropower, while serving more than 1.3 billion people in the basin areas of ten large Asian rivers. Climate change is affecting the amount of snow and ice and rainfall patterns, but there is a severe lack of the data needed to understand these processes. To download the paper: More ...
26/03/2009
Invitation for contributions
Mountain Forum/Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) and the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) would like to invite your contribution to the July 2009 special edition of the Mountain Forum Bulletin focusing on mountain biodiversity. Deadline for submissions is 27 March 2009. For more details see More ...
22/03/2009
Activists fume as World Water Forum ends without protocols
Environmental activists expressed criticism Sunday with the end result of the World Water Forum, decrying a lack of binding protocols to safeguard the world’s freshwater supplies. Ministers and delegation heads closed the fifth forum, an event held every three years, with promises to do more for the protection of water supplies. More ...
19/03/2009
Undersea Volcano erupts off Tonga
An undersea volcano has erupted near the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa, sending plumes of steam and smoke on Wednesday hundreds of metres into the air, officials said. The eruption, believed to be about 10 to 12 kilometres off the Tongatapu coast, was thought to have started on Monday, Mafi said, but it was two days before Nuku'alofa residents first reported seeing the plumes. More ...
07/03/2009
Sikkim's largest glacier melting
Alarmed by the reports of receding of Sikkim’s larger Zemu glacier in the eastern Himalayas, which is the main source of water for Teesta River, due to global warming, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has asked for an "authentic report". A status report on all glaciers was prepared by a study team comprising eminent experts at the initiative of the Science and Technology department last year. Forest and Wildlife Secretary S T Lachungpa said he would soon form a committee on climate change to study the impact of global warming on glaciers in the Himalayan state before compiling a report. It would take a couple of months to study the physical status of the Zemu glacier, he said. More ...
02/03/2009
American taste for soft toilet roll destroyng forests
Extra-soft, quilted and multi-ply toilet roll made from virgin forest causes more environmental devastation than the country's love of gas-guzzling cars, fast food or McMansions, according to green campaigners. At fault, they say, is the US public's insistence on extra-soft, quilted and multi-ply products when they use the bathroom."This is a product that we use for less than three seconds and the ecological consequences of manufacturing it from trees is enormous," said Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defence Council. More ...
16/02/2009
In Peru, the hills come tumbling down
It’s summer in Peru and the mudslides are back, eroding barren hillsides on the western slopes of the Andes. The huaicos, as they are known in Peru, create rivers of mud and carry giant boulders with them that knock down everything in their path, from houses to bridges. And there are signs the dangers are getting worse. The U.N. Climate Panel said in a 2007 report about the impacts of global warming that “many cities of Latin America, which are already vulnerable to landslides and mudflows, are very likely to suffer the exacerbation of extreme events”. More ...
16/02/2009
Doomsday seed vault's stores are growing
The stores of seeds in a 'doomsday' vault in the Arctic are growing as researchers rush to preserve 100,000 crop varieties from potential extinction. The imperiled seeds are going to be critical for protecting the global food supply against devastating crop http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2009/02/17/in-peru-the-hills-come-tumbling-down/losses as a result of climate change, said Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust. More ...
09/02/2009
Online Training Advocacy course
An online training advocacy course, which will run from 26 February until 20 March, is being conducted for Mountain Partnership Asia Pacific Members. The course intends to contribute towards the capacity building in advocacy strategies for sustainable mountain development at national and regional levels; to build and to enhance skills of regional members in advocacy by familiarising them with latest updates about advocacy strategies; to create a platform for sharing experiences and exchange of good practices of effective advocacy and to replicate ICIMOD run regional trainings by using the E-learning platforms and tools. More ...
25/01/2009
UAE mountain covered in rare snow
A white blanket of snow covers the Jees Mountain in the Gulf emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah. Residents in the most northerly Gulf emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah woke up to a rare covering of snow reaching up to 20 centimetres in depth with temperatures falling to -3 degrees Celsius, a rare phenomenon for the desert Gulf country, according to local media report. Major Said al-Yamahi of Ras al-Khaimah police told the newspaper that an area of five square kilometres (almost two square miles) was covered in snow.
The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai also had heavy rains on Friday and Saturday, in a spell of rare chilly weather in a desert state where summer temperatures can reach 50 Celcius (122 Fahrenheit). More ...
21/01/2009
The meltdown of the Himalayan glaciers
Data from glaciers around the world indicates that the average rate of melting and thinning more than doubled from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006. At the earth's so-called "third pole" in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau the situation is particularly critical. Scientists say the temperature in the Himalayan region is rising twice as fast as the global average and that the glaciers are in rapid retreat. Millions of people depend directly or indirectly on these natural water storage facilities for drinking water, agriculture, industry and power generation during key parts of the year. There is a need for governments to agree on a decisive new emissions-reduction and adaptation-focused regime. More ...
14/01/2009
New Publication on Soil and Water Conservation
The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) is a network with the aim of sharing valuable knowledge to improve livelihoods and the environment. Forty-two promising case studies were recently documented and analysed in a global overview book entitled ‘where the land is greener’ (WOCAT 2007), from which a consolidated list of policy points were drawn.
Co-published by CTA, UNEP, FAO and CDE, the book contains an extensive range of case studies from around the world: 42 soil and water conservation technologies and 28 approaches in total; provides a detailed analysis of the case studies under ‘technologies’ and ‘approaches’ and policy points for decision makers and donors; is a prototype and sets new standards for systematic documentation, evaluation and dissemination of knowledge on sustainable land management; addresses global concerns such as desertification, poverty, water scarcity and conflicts. More ...
12/01/2009
Two Britons die during peak ascent of Alps
On Saturday, trying a notoriously dangerous ascent of the east face of the 13,937-foot Tacul peak in the Mont Blanc mountain range in the French Alps, Rob Gauntlett, 21, fell hundreds of feet to his death with another young Briton, James Atkinson, also 21, the police in the French city of Grenoble said. Two years ago, at the age of 19, Gauntlett became the youngest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Over 14 months beginning in 2007, he and a companion traveled 26,000 miles, from the North Pole to the South Pole, through North, Central and South America, and then the South Atlantic and Antarctica, on skis, dogsleds, bicycles and an oceangoing sailboat, in a demonstration of what could be accomplished by "natural" means of transport, requiring no environmentally damaging engines. More ...
08/01/2009
Lessons learned from Everest trip
The extensive and continuing programme of research into hypoxia (low oxygen levels) carried out by Dr Grocott and the “Caudwell Xtreme Everest” team could help the treatment of critically ill patients.
The team that braved the Himalayan summit to study the body's responses to extreme adversity has recorded the lowest ever human blood oxygen level. The blood readings established what has long been suspected - that high-altitude climbers have incredibly low levels of oxygen in their blood, which at sea-level would only be seen in patients close to death.
The results could see treatment plans for some patients with similarly low blood oxygen levels re-evaluated.
The hope is that the research will eventually lead to better treatments for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, septic shock, "blue baby" syndrome and other critical illnesses. More ...
07/01/2009
Ecuador: Grassroots protest against impact of mining on the environment
QUITO – Over four hundred local peasants in the Ecuador's South Andean region held a feisty protest against mining activity in the region that they feel will have a negative impact on the area’s natural environment. Local farmers piled rocks and sticks around the roads leading to the main city in the region: Cuenca. The protest turned violent when riot police were called in to disperse the crowds. A number of protesters were arrested and three police officers were injured and taken to hospital by ambulance. More ...
