Geoscience Reference
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leads to over-development in the regions and leads to major disasters like
the one that happened in the summer of 2013 in India, washing out many
religious places, hotels and of course people! Development has a negative
impact on the fragile ecosystem due to deforestation which leads to fl oods,
waste problems and others.
Because of all the above mentioned activities in the mountains and in
response to globalizing economy with increased population dynamics, a
variety of changes have emerged in the traditional resource use structure in
high mountain areas in developed, developing as well as in underdeveloped
regions of the world. As a result, mountain regions of the world are passing
through a process of rapid environmental changes, and exploitation
and depletion of natural resources leading to ecological imbalances and
economic un-sustainability both in upland and lowland areas.
Moreover, the
changing climatic conditions have already stressed mountain ecosystems
through higher mean annual temperatures and melting of glaciers and
snow, altered precipitation patterns and hydrological disruptions, and more
frequent and extreme weather events rendering the mountain communities
and their economy more vulnerable to long term impacts of climate change.
Besides, the recent food crisis followed by global economic recession have
threatened the agricultural and food systems and livelihood security among
mountain communities because of their subsistence economies, constraints
of terrain, climate and resultant physical isolation and low productivity,
vulnerability to natural risks, poor infrastructure, limited access to markets,
higher cost of production, etc.
Our understanding about the problems of mountain regions and
approach to their development has undergone drastic changes, during
the recent years. Sustainable development of mountain regions assumed
added signifi cance in global context after Agenda 21 of Rio Summit 1992 and
International Year of Mountain 2002. Nevertheless,
mountains have long
been marginalized from the view point of sustainable development of their
resources and inhabitants
and currently, mountain ecosystems as well as
mountain communities are particularly threatened by global environment
changes and emerging new international economic and political orders
and the resultant problems of food and livelihood insecurity. In 2003, it
was estimated that nearly 245 million rural-population living in world-
mountains was vulnerable to food insecurity.
This topic addresses these critical issues and looks at the ways to stop
the downward spiral of resource degradation, rural poverty and food
and livelihood insecurity in mountain regions, new and comprehensive
approaches to mountain development are needed that identify sustainable
resource development practices, how to strengthen local institutions and
knowledge systems, and how to increase the resilience between mountain
environment and their inhabitants. The topic is divided into fi ve sections:
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