Sustainable Mountain Development - Mountain Geography: Physical and Human Dimensions - page 601

latter ranked ecological issues more highly than sociopolitical or economic issues. Two
of the most significant differences related to compensation for sustainable management
of mountain ecosystems by downstream populations, and the creation of new livelihood
opportunities—both seen as more important by government employees, perhaps imply-
ing that they are more radical than suggested by the priorities of the organizations
for which they work. Similarly, workshops of “specialists” and local stakeholders in the
Cairngorms of Scotland found greater agreement between the two groups regarding
indicators of “natural capital” than those relating to economic and social and politic-
al factors (Bayfield et al. 2000). Comparable research has not been done elsewhere.
Nevertheless, it appears desirable that indicators for SMD should be appropriate to the
region of concern and based on data that are measurable, available, easily understood,
and meaningful (Rieder and Wyder 1997).
Key Issues in Sustainable Mountain Development
Given that SMD concerns both mountain people and those dependent, in various ways,
on the environments they manage, many of the issues covered in earlier chapters are
relevant in considering how to move toward this challenging goal. This includes con-
cern for sustainable use of the various resources, as well as appropriate management of
soils, geomorphic processes, vegetation, wildlife, and agricultural and forest resources.
Equally, spiritual and cultural issues are embedded in the concept. A number of public-
ations provide broad overviews of the various themes, and are pertinent to any consid-
eration of SMD (e.g., Messerli and Ives 1997; Mountain Agenda 1997; Price and Butt
2000; Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2002). Another approach is that of Price and
Messerli (2002), who focus on five “pillars” of SMD: environment, culture and gender,
risk, economics, and policies and legislation. The final section of this chapter considers
the last of these. The remainder of this section considers the interactions of aspects of
the first four in relation to a number of key issues that link mountain and other regions:
access and communications; poverty, out-migration, and conflict; tourism and amenity
migration; protected areas and conservation-development linkages; and water. The dis-
cussion builds particularly on Messerli and Ives (1997); reports prepared by Mountain
Agenda (1998, 1999, 2001) for the annual meetings of the United Commission on Sus-
tainable Development; background papers originally prepared for the Bishkek Global
Mountain Summit, the final global event of the IYM and subsequently revised and pub-
lished in Price et al. (2004); and more recent publications.
Access and Communications
From adjacent lowland areas, mountains have long been seen as obstacles to movement.
Yet people have developed routes within, into, and across mountains since ancient
times, initially for themselves and their pack animals and, since the mid-nineteenth cen-
tury, by constructing roads and railroads for economic development and military, or
“strategic,” purposes, which are often linked. Ancient transit routes include those built
by the Romans across the European Alps, the Silk Road linking China to Europe across
the mountains of Central Asia, and others in the Andes established by the Incas. Long-