Introduction and Road Map for Impact of Global Changes on High-Mountains - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 20

perceive the full extent of this impact, yet the consequences are real and
ever more signifi cant.
Since Global Change affects man-environment systems with greatly
varying intensity and speed in different mountain regions, comprehensive
long-term observation and monitoring programs are necessary to capture
it. As an example of a monitoring system, authors have discussed a global
initiative: GLORIA. The challenges of climate change and globalization
increasingly calls for target knowledge to be provided to decision makers in
politics and the economy. It is vital to include stakeholders, not only in the
creation of system knowledge but even more important in the assessment
and transformation into target knowledge in truly trans-disciplinary
style. For example, the authors have discussed projects such as TRIP and
DIAMONT.
Borsdorf et al. have discussed the driver of change impacting high
mountains and it is quite apparent that climate change has emerged as one
of the major drivers transforming consistently the natural environment,
society and economy of the mountains regions in all parts of the world,
and mountains ecosystem being highly sensitive are extremely vulnerable
to these changes. However, there is still a high degree of uncertainty about
the trends and magnitude of climate change and its impacts on mountain
systems. It is therefore highly imperative to improve our understanding
of the trends of changes in temperature and variability in precipitation
pattern at the local level through downscaling of regional climate models.
This would require establishment of a comprehensive networks of hydro-
meteorological monitoring stations in mountain areas across the world,
particularly in the mountains of developing countries where currently,
such monitoring is extremely lacking. Furthermore, a sharp focussed
and comprehensive research on climate change impacts assessment,
vulnerability and adaptation to climate change would be necessary at
micro-regional scale.
ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION:
STRATEGIES AND MODELS
As discussed by Tiwari and Joshi in the next chapter, 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. Since mountains constitute
headwaters of some of the largest trans-boundary basins on the Earth,