Rio+20 boost for mountains

KATHMANDU, JUN 24 -

Despite the failure of the historic Rio plus 20 summit to deal with pressing challenges on environment, social and economic sustainability, the mountains have received the long-needed boost.

The two-day Rio plus 20 summit that concluded on Friday came up with the declaration ‘Our Common Vision’, adopted by heads of state and high-level representatives from around the world. It gives specific recognition to the global benefits of mountain ecosystems and the vital contributions of mountain people to sustainable development.

The declaration includes three paragraphs mentioning mountains and their role in ensuring the future well-being of mountain people across the globe. Earlier, the chapter 13 on sustainable mountain development included in the text of the 1992 Rio summit demanded better stewardship of mountains and mountain regions for global well-being.

The declaration further calls for international support for sustainable mountain development in developing countries, and encourages countries to adopt mountain-specific policies, read a statement issued by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (Icimod) on Saturday. According to the statement, the declaration recognises the global benefits derived from mountain regions as being critical for sustainable development, noting that “mountain ecosystems play a crucial role in providing water resources to a large portion of the world’s population”.

“The three paragraphs on mountains lay out a long-term vision for a holistic approach

to sustainable mountain development,” the Icimod quoted Gyan Chandra Acharya, Nepal’s ambassador to the United Nations, as saying.

Meanwhile, the conference urged states and international agencies to take urgent holistic action to conserve mountain ecosystems and biodiversity, to protect the environment, and to eradicate poverty and inequality for sustainable mountain development, said David Molden, director general at the Icimod. The two-day summit was participated by 130 nations.