Issue 18
March 2006
The Mountain Partnership Newsletter
Cerro Catedral-Alta Patagonia
Argentina
Photo: Paola Bellotti
‘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. Help us share news, information and features on your activities with members by sending a message to: info@mountainpartnership.org.
Membership
As of March 2006, there are 131 members of the Mountain Partnership: 44 countries, 14 intergovernmental organizations and 73 major group organizations.
Update on Partnership Initiatives
Forging decentralized cooperation
‘Think globally, act locally’ is often used in connection with the environment, but it also describes one of the main features of a rapidly growing form of development assistance known as “decentralized cooperation.” What does it mean? Increasingly, cities, regions and other local authorities in developed countries are reaching out directly to their counterparts in poorer countries to help tackle poverty and improve livelihoods. This joint action between local authorities in rich and poor countries helps to promote widespread participation in development and often includes sharing of knowledge, expertise and traditional practices. And this decentralized and participatory process can lead to the creation of initiatives and policies that truly respond to the needs of people and empower them to steer themselves out of poverty.
The potential for developing alliances between local authorities in the developed and developing world is therefore immense. A current collaborative activity between the Mountain Partnership Secretariat and members -- the SARD-M Project, FAO (through its Decentralized Cooperation Programme), the Unione Nazionale Comuni Comunità Enti Montani (UNCEM), Euromontana and the Association Européenne des Elus de Montagne (AEM) -- is building and strengthening cooperation for sustainable mountain development between local authorities in mountain regions of Europe and those in developing countries. In late 2005, a questionnaire was distributed to local authorities in Europe, countries in transition and developing countries. The analysis of the surveys for example already shows that the local authorities from France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland are particularly involved in activities concerning sustainable development in mountain regions, with implemented programmes and projects mainly focused on tourism, environment, new technologies and forestry. Some authorities have already developed partnerships with counterparts in other countries: the countries most frequently mentioned are those that have recently joined the European Union or are currently in the phase of accession, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia. The next step in the Mountain Partnership activity will be the organization of a workshop gathering local authorities from Europe and developing countries (possibly in June 2006) to identify areas and potential areas of collaboration. The facilitation and support of decentralized cooperation projects will then take place in 2006/2007.
A debate on cooperation between mountain areas in Mediterranean countries (Spain, southern Italy and Greece), with a focus on cooperation programmes between the European Union (EU) and North African countries, is on the agenda at the forthcoming ‘Territorial cooperation and Euromediterranean partnership of the local and regional actors: which tools for the sustainable development of Mediteranean mountains?’ (Granada, Spain, 17 March 2006).This seminar, organized by Mountain Partnership member, European Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain Regions (AEM) and the province of Granada within the context of the INTERACT Project PRO MONTE, will centre on the adaptability of current INTERREG III programmes in the Mediterranean mountain areas and other community instruments suited to the specific needs of Mediterranean mountain zones (i.e. regional planning, accessibility, the water management, sustainable tourism and development). For more information, visit the INTERACT PROMONTE Web site.
For further information about Mountain Partnership activities in decentralized cooperation with local authorities, contact Rosalaura Romeo, Programme Officer, Mountain Partnership Secretariat.
Connecting mountain communities with broadband
Broadband is the common term for a high bandwidth Internet connection -- one that can transmit or download information up to 40 times as fast as a standard telephone and modem -- and can be applied to a variety of communications including broadcast and cable television, wireless phones, Web access, instant messaging for real-time communication and e-mail. As reported in the December issue of ‘Peak to Peak’, Mountain Partnership members and interested partners are exploring the potential for broadband technology development in mountain areas in efforts to inform policy-makers and attract investment. Mountain Partnership member, EasyLan (a private sector telecommunications company) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, teamed up last year with Italian academic institutions (University LUISS Guido Carli and the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, Italy) to assess the potential of broadband technology to provide rapid, cost-effective and efficient connectivity in mountain areas. The first phase of this activity was a desk study to assess the feasibility of applying broadband communication technology in one of Europe’s largest mountain regions, the Carpathians. Researchers from the Rome-based universities, working closely with the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at FAO, looked at both the socio-economic and the technological aspects of the introduction of broadband. They analyzed variables such as the geo-morphology of the mountain region, its populations (density, migration patterns, local enterprises and digital literacy), as well as existing PC access and use, and the availability of Internet and broadband connections for both enterprises and households. This study resulted in mathematical models that could help decision-makers understand the demand and capacity for broadband and the levels of investment necessary for its introduction and development in mountain areas. Depending on the availability of funds, the next step of this Mountain Partnership activity will involve collecting and analyzing in-depth data on Internet use, digital literacy and possible applications in Romania and Morocco. This work will determine if broadband technologies are applicable in these mountain areas and ascertain the benefits to their communities. A summary of the study conducted by the two researchers will be soon be posted on the Mountain Partnership Web site in English. If you wish the full version of the study in Italian, contact Rosalaura Romeo.
Tapping the potential of microfinance
As reported in the February issue of ‘Peak to Peak’, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat is working with several members to evaluate the potential of integrating microfinance tools in their existing activities. An informal interest group on microfinance has been set up with members to brainstorm, conceptualize and eventually propose concerted action on the ground. Over the past month, a cluster of Mountain Partnership members linked to the Central Asia area, among them the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities (AGOCA) and the Mountain Environment Protection Society (MEPS) from Iran, have initiated collaborative work to evaluate the possibility of extracting valuable lessons from their experiences and applying it to future joint endeavours. Lack of adequate financial services has been already indicated as a problem for all these members' activities. In Latin America, Mountain Partnership member, Soluciones Prácticas (ITDG), has made progress on a project proposal on a financial needs assessment analysis for coffee and cheese producers in the mountain areas of Cajamarca, Peru. Meanwhile, Mountain Partnership members interested in microfinance issues are currently engaging in active dialogue on ‘tourism and microfinance’ on the ‘Discussion on-line’ area of the Mountain Partnership Web site. We would welcome input on this and other relevant topics related to microfinance from other members. If your country or organization has been involved in the microfinance/inclusive financial sector, i.e. outside formal financial sector, we would be interested to learn more. View the dialogue and post your comments here. For further information about the Mountain Partnership microfinance activity, please contact Paola Bellotti by e-mail or by phone: +39 06 5705-5521.
Assessing the future of mountain research
Who is who in mountain research? What are the priority issues for mountain research? At the 2nd Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership (Cusco, Peru, 2004), leading members of the Research Initiative committed themselves to answering these questions to build knowledge and guide future collaboration. As part of the process, leading member, the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) in Switzerland, is coordinating the distribution and analysis of a series of surveys to members of the Research Initiative, in particular, and the Mountain Partnership, as a whole. A first survey, sent only to members of the Research Initiative last year, aimed to assess member institutions’ activities related to mountain research. The most recent survey entitled ‘What future for mountain research?’ was disseminated by e-mail to all members of the Mountain Partnership on 9 March and aims to gather information on the core problems of sustainable development that need to be addressed by mountain research, the opportunities and potentials for mountain development that need to be further investigated, and the factors that create an environment conducive to research and to the dissemination of its results. Go to the on-line survey (in English only). For further information on this activity of the Research Initiative, contact Thomas Kohler (CDE).
News highlights from around the world
Global Action Plan on Landslides launched
The recent devastating mountain landslide after heavy rainfall in the Philippines (16 February), which buried an entire community highlights the increasing frequency and devastation of these natural hazards. All regions experience landslide disasters but the damage they cause is most acute in developing countries, where the knowledge base required to identify landslide-prone areas is often either non-existent or fragmentary. In late January this year, a Global Action Plan for reducing losses caused by landslides was adopted at the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo at an international meeting held under the auspices of UNESCO and organized in conjunction with the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR). The Global Action Plan, also known as the 2006 Tokyo Action Plan, foresees strengthening human resources and boosting funding to ensure adequate risk assessment and identify hazard zones. It will also foster the drawing-up of appropriate building codes, safety regulations and response plans. To reduce landslide risk, the Plan will also target local institutes and universities, encouraging them to develop expertise and early warning measures. In parallel, the Plan will foster education and research. Importantly, the meeting also set up a global network of International Programmes on Landslides. Based at Kyoto University in Japan, the network will function under the aegis of Mountain Partnership member, UNESCO, and other international bodies. Read the 2006 Tokyo Action Plan here and visit the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) Web site.
Ev-K²-CNR Committee’s ABC-Pyramid station
Mountain Partnership member, the Ev-K²-CNR Committee, has announced that its ABC-Pyramid station -- the highest atmospheric pollution monitoring station in the world -- has started operations. Located at 5,079 m in Nepal’s Khumbu Valley, the ABC-Pyramid has begun to collect data on the composition of the atmosphere over the Himalayas and the Asian plateau. As a component of the Ev-K²-CNR SHARE-Asia (Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment in Asia) Programme, the Pyramid will make up for a lack of crucial information from remote, high altitude areas in the South Asian region on the environmental consequences of the rapid economic development of one of the most densely populated areas of the world. A vast blanket of pollution stretching across the region, often referred to as the ‘Asian brown cloud’, is damaging agriculture, modifying rainfall patterns (including those of the monsoon) and putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk. Thanks to ABC-Pyramid, it will become possible to perform a thorough analysis of atmospheric composition at high altitude and investigate aspects such as the circulation of pollutants and aerosols, their influence on oscillations in the monsoon cycle, and their pressure on the atmospheric water and energy balance.
At the official start of scientific activity on 16 February, Head Researcher, Dr. Paolo Bonasoni of the Italian National Research Council Institute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), stated: ‘ABC-Pyramid is a feat of technology, ingenuity and scientific skill. Data from the station is sent to a server in the Pyramid Laboratory-Observatory via fiber-optic cable and wi-fi backup, then, thanks to a satellite connection, transferred in real time to CNR-ISAC in Bologna (Italy), so all activity can be constantly monitored and controlled’. ABC-Pyramid has now been officially included as a Complimentary Site in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Project Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABC), which is fighting environmental pollution. To find out more, visit the Ev-K²-CNR Web site.
Eradicating tsetse fly in Ethiopia
Photo Credits: Petr Pavlicek/IAEA
The fragile highlands of Ethopia’s Southern Rift Valley are under increasing pressure as human and animal populations retreat to higher altitudes to escape the spread of the tsetse fly (Glossina spp). Tsetse fly transmits the trypanosome parasite, which causes the devastating disease trypanosomosis among domestic livestock and ‘sleeping sickness’ among humans. In a recent agreement, the Government of Japan and the United Nations have committed over $1.7 million to a joint International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-FAO project to remove the tsetse fly and the diseases it transmits from the Southern Rift Valley. This follows a major effort by the Government of Ethiopia to invite international agencies to agree on a national approach to be pursued in the tsetse-infested Southern Rift Valley. The programme in Ethiopia will integrate the non-polluting and environmentally friendly Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which involves the release of colony-bred sterilized flies with other control methods to suppress the wild population, coupled with the development of a programme for sustainable use of newly available land. Ethiopian authorities hope that once eradication is achieved in the Southern Rift Valley, the area-wide strategy would eventually be expanded to all other tsetse-infested regions in the country, bringing enormous benefits to agricultural development in Ethiopia. Read more about the Programme Against African Trypanosomiasis (PAAT).
Support for South Asia earthquake survivors
The Mountain Forum’s appeal for support to the mountain populations affected by the devastating earthquake in South Asia last October has attracted generous donations from the international community. To date, over US$ 38,000 has been collected. While most of this amount has been invested in 130 winterized tents for the affected areas in Pakistan, the remainder of the money will now be used to purchase and deliver some 900 heaters for these shelters. The Mountain Forum appeal continues only until the end of March 2006. For further information about the appeal and to make your donation, visit the Mountain Forum Web site.
Living in tents and dependent on food aid, the survivors of last October's devastating earthquake in Pakistan are struggling for survival in a harsh winter. Landslides have cut off roads, and snowstorms and heavy rains are battering their makeshift homes. Four months on from the disaster, the future looks uncertain for many. Read a first-hand account of rehabilitation efforts from a food monitor from the Rome-based humanitarian agency, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which is delivering food and setting up food-for-work programmes to rebuild shattered communities.
Banff Mountain Grants Program
Mountain Partnership member, the Banff Centre for Mountain Culture promotes understanding and appreciation of the world’s mountain places by creating opportunities for people to share -- and find inspiration in -- mountain experiences, ideas and visions. One such opportunity offered by the Centre is the Banff Mountain Grants Program which supports projects that communicate the stories of mountain landscapes as places of ecological, inspirational, and cultural value, and that celebrate the spirit of adventure. 2006 grant applications are now available. Individuals or organizations may apply for grants of up to $5,000 (Canadian dollars) to fund projects that creatively interpret the environment, natural history, human heritage, arts, philosophy, lifestyle, and adventure, in and of the mountains. Projects must include a communications component (such as film, literature, photography) that brings the project before a public audience and must also show respect for mountain landscapes as places of ecological, inspirational, and cultural value. Get further information on the Banff Centre for Mountain Culture and grant applications.
Past Events
Fourth Intergovernmental ‘Biodiversity in Europe’ Conference (Lake Plitvice National Park, Croatia, 24 February 2006)
Europe’s governments have recently reiterated their commitment to stabilize the region’s natural environment. Officials from 40 European governments and 32 environmental organizations meeting at the ‘Biodiversity in Europe’ Conference recognized the need to redouble their efforts if they are to achieve the goal agreed in 2003 of halting the decline in Europe’s biological diversity by the year 2010. The Conference noted that, despite many positive developments, the loss of biological diversity -- the sum of species, habitat and genetic variation -- continues to advance at a rapid pace throughout Europe. For example, an area three times the size of Luxembourg was paved over with roads, car parks, shopping centres and other buildings during the 1990s alone. Other major challenges include climate change, which by altering the conditions of life for a species can undermine its ability to survive, a shortage of public funding and the low ranking of biodiversity as a political priority. To address these challenges, the meeting agreed to step up regional cooperation and strengthen partnerships with the forestry, agriculture and other economics-driven sectors. One of the key success stories highlighted at the meeting is the ongoing development of a Pan European Ecological Network (PEEN). Participants also welcomed initiatives by a number of banks to establish European biodiversity investment funds. These and other conclusions of the Conference will be advanced at the Eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity -- or ‘COP 8’-- later this month (see ‘Future events’). Get further information about the conclusions of the ‘Biodiversity in Europe’ Conference. Find out more about the Pan European Ecological Network (PEEN) here.
Future Events
The Eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – COP 8 (Curitiba, Brazil on 21-31 March 2006), including a side event on mountain biodiversity, ‘From Paradise to the Roof of the World’
Some 2,000 delegates from around the world are expected to attend the forthcoming Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), or ‘COP 8’, in Brazil later this month. The event marks a critical period in the life of the CBD, as it takes place against the background of the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The Assessment was the first attempt by the scientific community to describe and evaluate, on a global scale, the full range of services people derive from nature, and was carried out by experts from 95 countries over the last four years, with the support of UNEP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment makes clear, two-thirds of the services provided by nature to humankind are in decline, worldwide. Humans have made unprecedented changes to ecosystems in recent decades to meet growing demands for food and other ecosystems services. These changes have weakened nature’s ability to deliver its vital services. Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of Earth, that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. COP 8 provides an opportunity to catalyze collective efforts to meet the objectives of the Convention, namely to ‘achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth’.
The recently adopted work programme on mountain biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aims to establish ‘regional and transboundary collaboration and the establishment of cooperative agreements’. It also recommends strengthening collaboration with the Mountain Partnership and regional conventions on mountains. A special side event on mountains during COP 8, ‘From Paradise to the Roof of the World: mountain biodiversity – partnership for implementing the CBD’, will demonstrate the importance of sub-regional partnerships and conventions for the implementation of CBD, as emphasized by the work programme. Several Mountain Partnership members, including the Balkan Foundation for Sustainable Development, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the UNEP- Interim Convention for the Carpathian Convention and the European Academy (EURAC), will participate in the side event panel which will present the experience of the regional conventions in the Alps and of Carpathians, the on-going process in the Balkans and in the Hindu Kush Karakorum region and the implementation of the CBD in these regions through partnership at regional and global level. During the event, the National Park of Gran Paradiso -- the first national park created in Italy -- will launch a partnership with protected areas in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, particularly with the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal. This new partnership will be further developed during a workshop to be organized in Italy between June-July 2006, which will represent a first concrete collaborative activity on biodiversity within the framework of the Mountain Partnership. For further information, visit the Web site of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the special section on CBD COP 8. Read about mountain biodiversity in the ‘Issues’ section of the Mountain Partnership Web site.
Climate Change: Organizing the Science for the American Cordillera – ‘CONCORD’ (Mendoza, Argentina, 4–6 April 2006)
The mountain regions of the American Cordillera may be especially vulnerable to changes in climate, to the ensuing changes in snowpack, streamflow, ecosystem functioning, and to a host of impacts on human and natural systems. In these mountain regions relatively small perturbations in global processes can cascade to produce large changes in both highlands and lowlands, ultimately affecting the health, safety and prosperity of people throughout the region. Anticipating the future requires better understanding of the climate system, biophysical and ecological systems, and resource management institutions. Research in these regions and on these topics is essential to developing effective adaptation strategies for the American Cordillera. The Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), a Mountain Partnership member, is one of the co-organizers of the forthcoming International Symposium, ‘Climate Change: Organizing the Science for the American Cordillera - CONCORD’ (Mendoza, Argentina, 4 – 6 April 2006), which aims to summarize current research into the impacts of climate variability and change, assess key scientific gaps and propose long-term institutional arrangements for integrated climate and earth system science in the American Cordillera. For further information, visit the CONCORD Web site.
For more information on future mountain-related events around the world, browse the Mountain Calendar managed by the Mountain Forum.
Publications
Mountain Forum. Mountain Forum Bulletin.
Mountain greenways in Mexico. Ecotourism in India. Conservation initiatives in the Ecuadorian Andes. A network of protected areas in Europe. These are some of the stories featured in the latest Mountain Forum Bulletin. The 36-page publication includes news and features around the theme of ‘Sustainable Tourism for Poverty Alleviation in Mountain Areas’, as well as updates on the diverse activities of Mountain Forum regional nodes and a first-hand account of the devastating effect of the South Asian earthquake in October 2005 from a Mountain Forum member. Read the Mountain Forum Bulletin on-line.
UNEP. Geo Year Book 2006.
The GEO Year Book 2006 is the third annual survey of the changing global environment produced by UNEP, in collaboration with many world experts in environmental research and action. The Year Book includes global and regional overviews. It highlights the linkages between environmental well-being, vulnerability and poverty; records recent findings on the value of ecosystem services; and describes new research findings on polar and ocean changes that may prove a turning point in the urgency of our awareness and response to global change. A special feature focus analyzes the environmental, socio-economic and public health impacts of energy-related air pollution. The Geo Year Book also features the GEO Indicators which provide an up-to-date, graphic snapshot of key trends in managing our planetary habitat. Read the Geo Year Book 2006 on-line
Web site
Fondazione Courmayeur
Mountain Partnership member, Fondazione Courmayeur (or ‘Courmayeur Foundation’), located in the Italian Val d’Aosta, houses a ‘Permanent Observatory on Mountains’ which promotes the exchange of ideas, develops multidisciplinary research programmes and distributes its research findings to an international audience. The Foundation’s Web site has recently been re-designed to ensure users ready access to a wealth of research literature. Following registration, research documents can now be sent to those requesting them by entering the specific date, key word and/or title of the article, publication or newspaper concerned. Visit the Fondazione Courmayeur Web site.
First Announcement and Call for Papers 
It is estimated that half the world’s 1.2 billion poor people depend on harvesting wild natural resources for their livelihoods. These resources include what are known as ‘non timber forest products’(NTFPs), such as cocoa, rubber, incense and other plant derivatives. This year, the 1st International Non-wood Forest Products Symposium will be held in Trabzon, Turkey, between 1-4 November. The symposium, organized under the auspices of the Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Faculty of Forestry, The Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), and the Regional Directorate of Forestry, will offer all those working in the forestry, trade and marketing sectors the opportunity to discuss the recent developments in forest harvesting, trade and marketing practices for non-wood forest products, and their potential importance for socio-economic development. Conference organizers are interested in receiving papers on a wide range of relevant topics includingsustainable forest operations and improved utilisation of non-wood forest products; operational management plans; community involvement, development, employment and income; training and extension measures; and fiscal incentives to support activities related to non-wood forest products. The deadline for submissions of abstracts is 30 March, 2006. For further information, contact Dr. Ertugrul Bilgili (Symposium Secretariat) or visit the Symposium Web site.