Membership

Update on Country Members

Update on Partnership Initiatives

On-going and Forthcoming Events

Past Events

Publications

Funding studies in mountain conservation and development

Students in conservation can now identify funding sources for education and research in mountain conservation and development, thanks to a new funding source database. Developed by the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN), a programme dedicated to the past president and former chairman emeritus of the World Wildlife Fun (WWF), the Conservation and Education Funding Source database provides contact information and a brief sketch of more than 150 grants, scholarships, and fellowships for conservationists from Africa, Asia, and Latin America who are interested in enhancing their skills, up-dating their knowledge, or pursuing further education. The database contains grant and award programmes from over 100 funding sources for graduate and undergraduate programmes, mid-career training, field research, and internships. Go to the Conservation and Education Funding Source Database.

Protecting mountain gorillas through space technology

Satellite technology is invaluable in observing Earth and monitoring changes. It is also boosting UN efforts to preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

Now for the first time, scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) and UNESCO have produced detailed maps of inaccessible zones in Central Africa that are helping to monitor the habitat of the region’s threatened mountain gorillas. The results of this joint project, known as BEGo (Build Environment for Gorillas), were presented on 7 April at ESA headquarters in Paris.

The BEGo project is part of the ‘Open Initiative’ agreement between UNESCO and ESA which aims to provide satellite images and know-how in space-supported conservation to developing countries. An estimated 650 endangered mountain gorillas in nature reserves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda have already been saved by the Initiative which has provided these countries with their first accurate maps of the animals’ environment and allowed authorities to not only follow the gorillas but also monitor any changes or degradation to their habitat. A comparison of the satellite images taken over the sites between 1990 and 2003 has also provided an accurate picture of the impact on the environment caused by the the arrival of refugees, deforestation and poaching. Read more by visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Web site.

UNDP offers up to $500,000 to entrepreneurs who promote conservation

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a loan and grant programme to help small- and medium-sized businesses conserve biodiversity at the same time as they reduce poverty. Over the next 18 months, the initiative, called ‘Equator Ventures’, is set to disburse “loan investments” of $30,000 to $500,000 in a pilot programme will provide expertise in building enterprises. ‘Equator Ventures’ draws clients from conservation enterprises that deliver demonstrable conservation and socio-economic benefits in priority areas. These enterprises may be found in traditional sectors such as agroforestry, ecotourism, ecosystem services or non-timber forest products. However, Equator Ventures’ client pool will also welcome enterprises from other areas of endeavour, provided they can demonstrate positive impacts on biodiversity and communities. Equator Ventures has now begun to receive proposals on an on-going basis and will disburse funds provided by UNDP, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) of development banks and UN agricultural and industrializing agencies, the World Bank, the Government of Japan, the Dutch DOEN Foundation, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. For further information on eligibility and how to apply, visit the Equator Initiative Web site.

Survival at the top

The Ev-K²-CNR Committee, a Mountain Partnership member, oversees the Ev-K²-CNR Project which has become one of the main international cornerstones of high-altitude and remote-area scientific research in the world. The project’s logistical base is the Pyramid Laboratory-Observatory, located at 5050 m above sea level in the Khumbu valley, at the foot of the Nepali side of Mount Everest. The stunning glass-sided Pyramid is the first semi-permanent high-altitude research centre in the world and includes a self-sufficient energy system as well as a fully-equipped scientific laboratory. Most recently, researchers in the Pyramid have been conducting observation and monitoring on “sample” subjects who completed a route with variable slopes on a rise of 100 m, carrying weights varying from 20 to 60 kilos. The objective is to make a comparison between the behaviour of subjects (reactions and locomotor choices) during uphill climbs, both in terms of oxygen availability and additional carrying loads. Visit the Ev-K²-CNR Web site and watch a video clip of these research activities in the Pyramid Laboratory-Observatory.

Issue 10
May 2005

The Mountain Partnership Newsletter

‘Peak to Peak’ is an opportunity to keep you up-to-date with the latest news, activities and events related to the Mountain Partnership. This monthly newsletter, prepared by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, is sent by e-mail to all members and other interested partners and can be read on-line. Help us share news, information and features on your activities with members by sending a message.

Membership

As of May 2005, there are 117 members of the Mountain Partnership: 45 countries, 14 IGOs and 58 major group organizations. At the Mountain Partnership Secretariat we have recently received a number of requests to join the Partnership. In the interests of transparency and the full participation of all members, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat is now sharing all membership applications with existing members for their information and review. If you did not receive our recent message on the subject, distributed through the Mountain Partnership e-mail distribution list (5 May), please contact us.

Update on Country Members

Country members of the Mountain Partnership play a key role as catalysts for action on the ground. They are well-placed to understand local needs and priorities, support community development and act as a bridge between local communities and international agencies.

Armenia, a recent country member of the Partnership, is currently devising a national strategy for sustainable mountain development in a partnership that involves a broad cross-section of national stakeholders (government agencies, academics and NGOs) and FAO. The work is being undertaken within the framework of the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme. The project has set up two pilot sites in mountain communities, in order for NGOs to implement studies and specific activities that will demonstrate what the sustainable mountain development approach represents on the ground: what does it mean in terms of the environment and local mountain communities? For further information, please contact Thomas Hofer (Sustainable Mountain Development Officer, FAO). To read more about mountains and mountain development in Armenia, visit the country section of the Mountain Partnership Web site.

In the Kyrgyz Republic, a TCP project is underway to reduce outmigration from mountain areas by creating new income opportunities. Once a forthcoming mission has identified the priority mountain products for focus (including possibly yak breeding, fish ponds and bee-keeping), the project will aim to develop small enterprises to promote these mountain-specific products in villages and provide training to create and strengthen local capacities for production, processing and marketing. An important feature of TCP projects is the inclusion of study tours to other countries with comparable conditions to exchange experiences and lessons learnt. In the Kyrgyz Republic project, staff will visit Mountain Partnership member, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal, to learn from its extensive experience and expertise in mountain enterprises. For further information about the project, please contact Alexia Baldascini. To read more about mountains and mountain development in the Kyrgyz Republic, visit the country section of the Mountain Partnership Web site.

Mountain Partnership member, Cuba, continues to be a pioneer in the protection of mountain environments and the improvement of mountain livelihoods. Back in 1987, Cuba set up a National Commission to address economic, social and environmental mountain issues and to include a national reforestation programme. This Commission formulated the ‘Turquino-Manati Plan’ which continues to be implemented: the ‘Plan Turquino’ focusses on the mountainous massifs, while the ‘Plan Manati’ is devoted to reforestation throughout all the country’s provinces.

Within the context of the Turquino-Manati Plan, an on-going TCP project is putting local governing bodies in place to improve the quality of life and food security of mountain communities. The project is doing this by strengthening the coordination and communication between multiple service providers, and between communities and extension service providers. It is also building the capacities of local experts as trainers in the social and learning aspects of extension, field testing advanced bio-technology and organic technologies and involving communities in the design and management of mountain demonstration farms (or ‘Fincas demostrativas’). A revised multi-sector mountain extension policy “Sistema de Extension Agropecuario y Forestal” has been drafted and an implementation plan developed. For further information, please contact “Christine Holding Anyonge”:mailto:Christine.HoldingAnyonge@fao.org; FAO Forestry Officer (Extension). To read more about mountains and mountain development in Cuba, visit the country section of the Mountain Partnership Web site.

Update on Partnership Initiatives

The European Academy, an Italian institute for applied research and further education, will shortly hold a meeting within the Policy and Law Initiative of the Mountain Partnership (1 June, FAO, Rome) to present the results of a study conducted to better understand the mechanisms for transboundary cooperation at sub-national level. The study was undertaken in context of the ‘Espace Mont Blanc’ an area that is jointly managed by three sub-national authorities from Italy, France and Switzerland. Mountain ranges are often shared among several countries. It is therefore very timely to investigate the modality for managing mountain areas through new institutional settings that allow for the inclusion of representatives of local authorities of more than one country. The result of this study can serve as a model for adaptation in other regions faced with the same needs of jointly managing mountain ranges on country borders. Should you wish to participate in this meeting or to receive a copy of the study, please contact Rosalaura Romeo (Mountain Partnership Secretariat, FAO).

Helping to make Partnership Initiatives work

The Mountain Partnership Secretariat plays a facilitating role in helping members to build the Partnership Initiatives. For Partnership Initiatives on Europe, Central Asia, East Africa, Education, Watershed management and Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountains (SARD-M), members should contact Mountain Partnership Secretariat member, Peter DeBrine. For the Partnership Initiatives on the Andes, Central America and the Caribbean, Gender, Hindu-Kush Himalaya, Policy and Law, Sustainable Livelihoods and Research, members should contact Secretariat member Rosalaura Romeo.

New on the Mountain Partnership Web site – Mountain Products

Mountains provide us with a range of products — foods and beverages, medicines, cosmetics, textiles and crafts — and a host of services. It is by tapping the traditional knowledge, skills and expertise of mountain people that we can transform mountain products into high-quality products that can make a real difference to the well-being, lives and livelihoods of mountain people themselves. This is the rationale behind the Government of France/FAO Mountain Products Project, which is being undertaken under the umbrella of the Sustainable Livelihoods Initiative. A special section on the Mountain Products Project has now been created in the Sustainable Livelihoods Initiative section of the Mountain Partnership Web site. These pages highlight the challenges and opportunities of protecting and promoting mountain products for mountain people, and feature comprehensive information on the activities of the Mountain Products Project, including regional and inter-regional case studies, reports and a database on regional product and producer information. Other resources include profiles and links to the wide variety of organizations involved in the Project, as well as a study on the legal and institutional aspects of developing enterprises in mountain regions. Go to the Mountain Products Project Web section.

Mountain Partnership Web Survey

The Mountain Partnership Secretariat wishes to thank all members who participated in the recent Web survey. A final analysis of results is now underway. However, at this stage we would like to highlight that the most visited and appreciated sections of the site were the news (and newsletter), Initiatives, themes and countries. Your views and suggestions will drive the re-structuring of the Web site and ensure that we create a truly demand-driven and relevant Web site for Partnership members.

Raising the profile of the Mountain Partnership

The Mountain Partnership logo (English, French and Spanish) was developed in a collaborative process among members last year. It aims to give the alliance a strong visual identity, allows partners to communicate clearly and consistently about the Mountain Partnership and its Initiatives, and increases the scope and power of key messages and outreach. Members of the Mountain Partnership are encouraged to use the logo in their communication materials such as letterheads, Web sites, brochures and posters. Access the Mountain Partnership logo in various formats.

Update on the Mountain Forum Pilot Radio Project

Radio is one of the most effective means of reaching the grassroots as well as telling their stories to the world at large. This is proven by the Mountain Forum Pilot Radio Project, a joint collaboration of the Mountain Forum Secretariat, Asia Pacific Mountain Network and Radio Sagarmatha, which ended in December 2004. During a three-month period, the pilot produced some eight radio programmes on pertinent issues affecting the mountain dwellers of the Kathmandu valley rim. The process was as follows: identify the issue, gather input from the Mountain Forum community at large and develop a set of tentative questions, interview the affected locals and take their concerns and complaints to local bodies and decision-makers for rebuttal, as well as interview experts to put the issue in a much broader perspective. The programme was then broadcast on Nepalese radio and the transcripts made available to the Mountain Forum community worldwide.

Many outcomes of the pilot project have been encouraging. This was the first time ever that a radio programme had a uniquely mountain focus, highlighting critical and emerging issues. It also allowed the Mountain Forum community a chance to read the views of mountain people themselves. The pilot also demonstrated that it is not necessary to rely on donor funds for pilots, and that existing resources (mainly logistics, equipment and staff time) can be leveraged to carry out these small-scale activities. Two of the radio programmes were particularly noteworthy. The episode on ‘Tourism Conflict’ inspired the affected local community to hold a seminar for interested stakeholders to discuss ways to resolve the conflict in Nagarkot, as well as to bolster community-managed tourism in the area. The ‘Tripeni Rising’ programme sparked interest among would-be entrepreneurs in the commercial potential of bio-briquette ovens. Importantly, some Kathmandu-based politicians who tuned to the pilot broadcasts have testified that the topics covered were fresh and had opened their eyes to hitherto marginalized issues. For further information on the Mountain Forum Pilot Radio Project and its next phase, visit the web site.

Restructuring the Mountain Forum On-line Library

The Mountain Forum Secretariat in Nepal is currently re-structuring the Mountain Forum Online Library to provide a more efficient and powerful search engine for full text documents and to offer a more intuitive arrangement of mountain resources. The search engine will allow more sophisticated searches to ensure more relevant retrievals. This new version of the Mountain Forum Online Library will provide significant support to the information sharing and networking activities of Mountain Partnership members as they continue to develop concrete activities on the ground. View the Mountain Forum Web site.

On-going and Forthcoming Events

Future of Food and Small Scale Producers Electronic Conference, 14 April to 15 June 2005

This on-going electronic conference ‘Future Food and Small Scale Producers’ is aimed primarily at indigenous, small and family farmers, landless and fisherfolk as well as their representative organizations, and aims to result in a deeper understanding of alternative movements in rural areas. It should also help demonstrate why keeping farmers and indigenous peoples on their land throughout the world is of fundamental importance for the well-being of society and nature. The electronic conference, organized by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR), the Small and Family Farms Alliance, the TEBTEBBA (Mountain Partnership member) and the UK Food Group, began on 14 April 2005 and will be hosted at the Dgroups website. Contributors are invited to describe the practice and underlying rationale of farmers and indigenous peoples’ alternatives to the modernization and industrialization of food, agriculture and land/water use. The organizers will compile summaries of contributions in English, French and Spanish, and hope to produce a key document which will serve to inform the upcoming G8 meeting (Gleneagles, UK, July 2005) and other international events in 2005, in efforts to ensure that farmers and indigenous people’s voices influence policy processes. To register in the e-Conference, please send an e-mail containing your full name, country and occupation.

Rethinking Development: Local Pathways to Global Well-being, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Canada, June 20-24, 2005

More than 30 years ago, the King of Bhutan declared that “Gross National Happiness” is more important than Gross National Product. In February 2004, the country held an international conference on well-being to discuss the country’s experiment with a “Gross National Happiness” model: it was agreed to continue these discussions and examine other initiatives, with particular emphasis on ways in which humanity can adopt strategies that counteract the consequences of today’s global development patterns. The result is the forthcoming event, ‘Rethinking Development: Local Pathways to Global Well-being’. This will examine development initiatives around the world that have successfully integrated socially and environmentally responsible policies and practices (e.g. Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the USA, Scandinavia). The focus will be on how these programmes are implemented, why they can work on a global level, how major challenges were overcome, and what challenges remain. ‘Rethinking Development’ will gather government, non-government, business, labour, academic and youth leaders, as well as representatives from more than 30 countries. Amongst the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners in this field attending the event are Mathis Wackernagel, co-developer of the Ecological Footprint (one of the most widely used measures of sustainability) and Fr. Francisco VanderHoff (Mexico), founder of fair trade. For more information visit the web site.

Past Events

13th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-13) (11-22 April 2005, UN HQ, New York)

As reported in the February and April issues of ‘Peak to Peak’, the recent CSD-13 session focussed on the policy aspects of water, sanitation and human settlements. An integral part of the CSD session, however, was the Partnerships Fair, which gave CSD partnerships the opportunity to compare and contrast their experiences, challenges and issues related to the process of making partnerships increasingly operational. The issues discussed during interactive sessions included private sector involvement, resource mobilization and communication and outreach.

It was interesting to note that most CSD partnerships face similar challenges and have not made as much progress as perhaps might be expected. Most partnerships cited the crucial challenges of how to increase members’ active involvement and how to achieve concrete results through collaborative efforts. There was also a perceived need amongst participants for criteria and indicators to measure achievements and impact. Effective communications and outreach are key to the success of partnerships and this was the topic of an interactive session during which the Mountain Partnership Secretariat presented its experiences. The Secretariat interacted with representatives of member countries and organizations of the Mountain Partnership to discuss and define their involvement in specific activities. It also set up an information desk to provide CSD delegates with information material about the Mountain Partnership and to encourage further dialogue and networking.

‘Champions of the Earth’, UN Headquarters, New York, 19 April

Seven leaders in the field of the environment have been named by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as ‘Champions of the Earth 2005’ for “setting an example for the world to follow.” The international award ‘Champions of the Earth’ is presented each year to outstanding environmental achievers and leaders of the world, who made a significant and recognized contribution, regionally or beyond, to the protection and sustainable management of the Earth’s environment and natural resources. This year’s winners, who accepted their awards at a special ceremony at UN Headquarters on 19 April, include: the King and people of Bhutan; Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (posthumously); President Thabo Mbeki and the People of South Africa; His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew; Sheila Watt-Cloutier of Canada; President of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference; Julia Carabias Lillo, former environment minister of Mexico; and Zhou Qiang and the All-China Youth Federation. Read more about ‘Champions of the Earth 2005’ and view the photo gallery of the international award ceremony.

Publications

‘Guidelines for Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring for Protected Areas’

Nepal’s extensive experience in the management of protected mountain areas is reflected in the new ‘Guidelines for Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring for Protected Areas’. The publication is based on the practical project experience of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC) in Nepal and UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in developing a biodiversity monitoring system for the management of the protected Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) – the first and largest conservation area in Nepal – and is a useful reference tool for managers in Nepal and beyond. For further information about the Guidelines, please contact Siddhartha Bajra Bajracharya (KMTNC) or Philip Bubb (UNEP-WCMC).

State of the World 2005: Redefining Global Security’

“If we did a better job of managing our resources more sustainably, conflicts over them would be reduced. Protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace.” These words of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai were re-iterated at the launch on 2 May of the Worldwatch Institute report ‘State of the World 2005: Redefining Global Security’. In the report, Worldwatch researchers explore underlying sources of global insecurity including poverty, infectious disease, environmental degradation, and rising competition over oil and other resources. The authors call for a new approach to global security and urge governments and others to take various actions, including ‘bolstering environmental peacemaking’. This would involve governments building on the growing array of joint environmental initiatives, including peace parks, shared river basin management plans, and joint environmental monitoring programmes that are helping to promote cooperation among traditional political adversaries. The authors argue that as such initiatives gain momentum, they will reduce international tensions while also protecting the environment. Read more