Ascending to new peaks

Celebrating International Mountain Day 2024

By GRID-Arendal

December 11^th, 2024

At GRID-Arendal, we've had another eventful year working to elevate mountain issues in global conversations, inspire decision-makers to include mountain environments, and enhance the resilience of those living in the mountains and downstream.

Here, we highlight three examples from 2024 that showcase our efforts to advance the mountain agenda.

Bringing mountains to the world stage

This year, GRID-Arendal Mountain projects were represented at major international conferences:

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16,
Convention for Migratory Species (CMS) COP14, and
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties COP29.

GRID-Arendal staff participated in all three conferences, presenting projects results directly to the environment ministries of partner countries in collaboration with local organizations and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The Vanishing Treasures programme phase 1, funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, concluded this year. The project focused on biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation for nature and communities in 3 regions:

Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan),
Virunga mountains in East Africa (Uganda/Rwanda), and
Hindu Kush Himalaya (Bhutan).

With a main objective to reduce human wildlife conflicts, the project contributed to eight global or multilateral Environmental Agreement events, including the CBD and CMS COPs, twelve national consultation meetings, and local nature-based solutions implemented benefiting more than 58,800 community members. Finally, the project has put forward the status of three flagship species - the mountain gorilla, royal Bengal tiger, and snow leopard - as representatives of the state of the environment.

The Central Asian Mammals and Climate Adaptation, or CAMCA project, also deals with human wildlife conflict for 6 flagship species and the intersection between biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation for mountain communities in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. GRID-Arendal co-organized side events highlighting the unique challenges of this region and ongoing project implementation at CMS COP14, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and CBD COP16, held in Cali, Colombia, in collaboration with Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tajik ministries, the CMS Secretariat, and UNEP.

This year, the UNFCC COP29 was hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku, located in the heart of the Caucasus region. The latter is a well-known biodiversity hotspot that WWF previously defined as the Caucasus Ecoregion, encompassing the entirety of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, as well as parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation, and Türkiye.

The region features various environments from retreating high mountain glaciers to the Caspian Sea, situated 27 metres below sea-level. Baku was thus an ideal location to launch the Caucasus Environment Outlook second edition, an assessment providing information on the status of the environment in each of the six countries and looking at the policies in place and which are needed in the near future to improve the status of nature and the lives of citizens in the Caucasus Ecoregion.

Towards Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Nepal

Nepal is on the frontlines of a global food insecurity crisis. Erratic weather, rising temperatures, and unpredictable monsoons are challenging the resilience of smallholder farmers and the broader agrifood systems.

In 2024, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and GRID-Arendal co-produced a publication that offers a holistic model for climate-resilient agriculture. Combining widely proven practices with innovative, site-specific solutions tested on Nepali farms, it’s a call to action for decision-makers to adopt and scale these approaches for a sustainable future.

Learn more about the publication and download it via our website.

Preparations for the International Year of Glaciers Preservation 2025

GRID-Arendal is present in the International Year of Glaciers Preservation 2025 Task Forces alongside governments, international organizations, and NGOs to contribute to events that will happen next year. Coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the year will focus on raising awareness amongst policy makers, international community and the public about the changes that are happening to glaciers on every continent. This year will also serve as a call for action to preserve glaciers which are impacted at a global scale directly by warmer temperatures caused by ever increasing Green House Gases emissions in the atmosphere, contributing to the glaciers melting at an increasing rate year after year.

Multiple events next year will shed the light on the International Year of Glaciers Preservation (IYGP25), from the official launch of the year happening on the 21st of January 2025 at WMO headquarters in Geneva, to the 21st of March 2025: first international day for Glaciers. To mark the day, GRID-Arendal is partnering with UNESCO to produce an exhibition to tell the stories of why glaciers are important for nature and the people living in their vicinity and whom will need to adapt to a changing environment.

2025 also marks the start of the Decade of International Cryosphere Sciences 2025-2034, to build up on the momentum of the IYGP25 and engage more and more people and organizations to make a difference and support scientific community and act for the cryosphere.