Impacts and Risks of Global Change - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 34

Impacts of Climate Change
Climate warming and globalization have serious impacts on environment,
space and society in mountain regions. Climate variation results in falling
crop yields in many areas. However some mountain regions, like high
latitude zones or in temperate climates may profi t—to a certain degree and
in some sectors—by climate warming, whereas harvests and yields will be
reduced in many developing and even developed regions.
During the recent years, 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 mainly in
response to the globalizing economy and increased population dynamics.
As a result, mountain regions of the world are passing through a process
of rapid environmental changes, exploitation and depletion of natural
resources leading to ecological imbalances and economic un-sustainability
both in upland and lowland areas. Moreover, 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 on mountain
communities because of their subsistence economies, constraints of
terrain and climate and resultant physical isolation and low productivity,
vulnerability to natural risks, poor infrastructure, limited access to markets,
higher cost of production, etc. This has led to renewed concerns about the
sustainability of mountain ecosystems and their inhabitants and calls for
further investigation of the vulnerability of mountain communities with
respect to ongoing process of global environmental change.
With the melting of inland icefields and glaciers and even the
disappearance of small mountain glaciers both water and energy supply
are endangered in several areas. To a certain degree, mountains may lose
their function as water towers and energy providers. Specifi cally irrigation
agriculture in the Mediterranean, semi-arid and arid climates is affected. As
another consequence—at least for those mountain regions which are located
near an ocean or, as islands, in an ocean—sea the level rise threatens coastal
settlements and even some major cities on the shore. Alterations in marine
ecosystems occur with evidence to the coastal environment and industry.
With respect to mountains however, the terrestrial ecosystems are much
more affected. Biodiversity is changing, many species will face extinction,
invaders are immigrating and may enforce the process of suppression. Also,
cover changes, and increases and decreases are to be observed.