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assessment, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change would be
necessary at micro-regional scale.
An effective mechanism for the sharing of information, data, experience
and knowledge generated from local, regional to international levels
and international level transfer of knowledge would be crucial for better
understanding of changing climatic conditions and evolving appropriate
strategies for mitigation of climate change and responding to its impacts in
an amicable manner. Since mountains constitute headwaters of some of the
largest trans-boundary basins on the earth, it would also be indispensable to
establish and strengthen international research collaboration, and develop
international mechanisms on knowledge and data sharing. A regional
geo-political cooperation framework among riparian countries is therefore
highly crucial not only for evolving a framework of adaptation to climate
change and improved governance of headwaters resources, but also for
security and peace in the entire world. The international conventions,
initiatives and organization can play an effective role in initiating trans-
boundary climate adaptation diplomacy in different mountain regions. All
mountain regions across the world are currently facing common threats
from climate change and economic globalization in the backdrop of the
similar constraints of terrain, fragility; geographical isolation and socio-
political marginalization. In many developing countries, policy decisions
and planning processes have plains perspective largely ignoring the
disproportionate vulnerability of social-ecological systems of mountains.
Hence, effective mountain-specifi c policies need to be designed not only at
the national level but also at global scale, as these challenges are independent
of national territories. In order to address the challenges posed by climate
change, the mountain countries and regions should develop mountain
specifi c adaptation and mitigation policies, programmes, institutions and
think tank which would be necessary to enhance their resilience and ensure
socio-economic and ecological sustainability in mountain areas.
Mountain communities through their traditional resource management
practices contributed signifi cantly towards preservation of forest and
biodiversity, climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration, water
conservation and preservation of cultural heritage and natural landscapes
that provide a variety of ecosystem services and goods to a considerably
large population in the downstream. In turn, the global community should
contribute towards the conservation of natural ecosystem and improvement
of the quality of life of mountain people by providing adequate incentives
for these high value services fl owing down from mountains. Moreover,
mountain areas, especially those situated in subtropical and tropical
zones have contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. The
mountain inhabitants therefore need to be supported in their sincere efforts
to adapt to the challenges and facilitated to be benefi ted from emerging
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