Thursday, March 21, 2024
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High-altitude ecosystems have not only fascinated civilizations and cultures for centuries due to their spectacular nature, but they are also essential refuges for biodiversity and important generators of resources for sustaining the global economy.
By Carmen Toro
It was on a mountain, Mount Sinai, where Moses received the tables with the Ten Commandments. And another, Mount Olympus, where the Greek deities lived. The important role of mountains in cultures and religions throughout history is just an example of the ancestral admiration of humans for these impressive environments. And it's no wonder: mountains, in addition to their obvious spectacularity, cover around 27% of the Earth's surface and house around 15% of the world's animal population and 25 of the world's 34 biodiversity hotspots. And, even though today we do not pay tribute to the mountains, like any other day of the year, it is still a good day to remember the richness of these ecosystems and the benefits they bring to the planet and to people.
Mountain regions are the habitat of an extraordinary variety of plants and animal species, such as the golden eagle, the Andean condor, or the snow leopard; in addition to being home to thousands of communities with unique cultures, languages, and traditions. From the Andes to the Cantabrian Mountain Range, mountains embrace ancestral identities protected in the heights and enriched by direct contact with nature.
And, as if this were not enough, mountains provide fresh water to more than half of the world's population. They also help regulate the climate, in addition to maintaining, retaining, and preserving the soil. A series of factors that, despite the difficulties of the slopes, favor the cultivation of some key plant species for food or even for the creation of medicine. And the thing is, even though a priori we may not think about it at first, there are essential products that are produced in these landscapes, such as coffee, cocoa, honey, herbs, spices, and even handicrafts. That is to say, mountains, in addition to being rich ecosystems, are generators of resources and a source of health.
The recent biodiversity agreement signed at the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference seeks to revitalize and protect mountain landscapes. In fact, in its triennial resolution on sustainable mountain development, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the 2023-2027 period as the "five years of action for the development of mountain regions."
The main objectives of this resolution are to attract grants and investments for the mountains, promote green economies and technologies, create mechanisms to strengthen cooperation among mountainous countries, as well as develop science and education in the field of mountain sustainability so that we can all continue to enjoy their wealth and biodiversity.
Thus, the improvement in nature-based practices and investments that contribute to conserving its biological wealth, allow for reducing its vulnerability and protecting the ecosystem dynamics of plant and animal species that will safeguard the quality of life and environmental health at a global level. That is why not only International Mountain Day, celebrated every December 11th, but every day, is a perfect opportunity to increase awareness about the enormous importance of preserving high-altitude ecosystems. And perhaps there is no better way to do it than to get up from the couch and approach the nearest mountain to breathe in the magic, almost spiritual, that ties us to the mountains.
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