Mountains are water towers of our planet

N Munal Meitei *

International Mountain Day is celebrated on 11 December since 2002 with this year’s theme ‘Women move mountains’. Manipur being with 90% hills have the relevance to celebrate this unique day as the livelihoods of both the two terrains are more or less same. This day gives an opportunity to recoganise the rights of the mountain women and promote their social justice, gender equality, livelihood and resilience.

Women play an inextricable role in environmental protection, social and economic development in mountain regions. They are the primary managers of mountain resources, artisans, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture and experts in traditional medicine.

Increasing climate variability, coupled with poor economy and with resources becoming scarce, men have no choice but to migrate to lowland cities. Women are often left to manage families but with little capacity and knowledge. Mountain women have therefore taken the throes of all family burdens.

Almost half the human population depends on mountains for water, food and energy. Mountain farming has been a model for centuries as are inherently ‘green’ and low-carbon footprint. Of the 20 plant species that supply 80% of the world’s food, six are diversified and originated in mountains: maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes and apples.

Mountains are early indicators of climate change and as global climate continue to warm, mountain people- some of the world’s hungriest and poorest-face greater struggles to survive.

Climate-induced disasters, combined with political, economic and social marginalization, increase the vulnerability of mountain peoples to food shortages and extreme poverty. Currently, about 329 million mountain people, is estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity and most of the mountain farming production are for family consumption, playing a key role in ensuring household food security.

Covering around 27% of the earth’s land surface and supporting 22% of the world’s population, mountains are the water towers of the planet providing 60-80% of the world’s freshwater. Freshwater from mountains is fundamental for global food security, used for irrigation in many lowland regions.

Mountains are ubiquitous and 90% of the world’s mountain dwellers live in developing countries, where a vast majority lives below the poverty line and 1 out of 3 faces the threat of food insecurity. Mountains not only provide sustenance and well-being to 915 million global people but also indirectly benefit billions living downstream.

Mountains are places of tourism and cultural trails. Mountain tourism accounts for about 18% the global tourism industry. Mountain populations have unique and valuable local knowledge, tradition and cultural practices that can contribute to effective land management strategies and climate adaptation.

Yet mountains are under threat from climate change, deforestation, land degradation, over exploitation and natural disasters, affecting both for the mountain communities and the rest of the world.

Mountains have a key role to play in providing renewable energy, especially through hydro power, solar power, wind power and biogas. Hydro power currently provides around a fifth of all electricity worldwide and some countries rely 100% of their requirements.

Mountains are one of the oldest nature’s pristine structures, stolid and regal they stand against the sky, of such a size that they can catch entire countryside’s in their shadow, and turn back the ravages of storms against their unflinching sides. They are the source of recreation and resource, with stones of green dressed slopes to enthusiasts, and to those brave enough to delve into their stony sides.

Traditional medicines and many forms of handicrafts that spring up from the minds of mountain people that were kept un-tauched for centuries towered the edifices into their legacies. Mountains are necessary for the health and well-being of the flora and fauna that call them their home.

The world’s mountains encompass some of the most spectacular landscapes, a wide variety of ecosystems, a great diversity of species and distinctive human communities. Mountains support about one quarter of world’s terrestrial biodiversity with nearly half of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots”. Genetic diversity is higher in mountains regions. When mountain communities disintegrate, the entire cultures and languages disappear.

Mountains have acted as refuges from environmental changes or competing species, and they often represent sites of in situ speciation. Due to global warming species that are endemic in these areas can become “trapped” and will disappear as their habitat is reduced.

Mountain ranges are the primary depository for air pollutants. Changes in the precipitation patterns and rising temperatures result in reducing the water holding capacity of the mountain range. Habitat degradation caused by massive deforestation results in soil erosion, landslides, flooding and food insecurity. With this change in habitat, rare species of plants and animals can face extinction.

This day can be celebrated in the cavalcade ways to discover the hiding beauties, hiking along the trails and enjoying the mountain nature in all its glory and untouched wilderness. However, mountains are hugely vulnerable to the natural and anthropogenic threats which degrade mountain ecosystem and services and the livelihoods of billions of peoples. Therefore with coming of this Day, let’s join hand to save the mountains and hills for the human survival.