Beyond the International Year of Mountains: A preliminary assessment by the FAO, the United Nations lead agency for IYM2002 80

The International Year of Mountains has changed the way many people think about and relate to mountains. Thanks to a global awareness-raising campaign that has prompted countless special events and celebrations, newspaper articles and television reports, educational programmes, and conferences — not to mention 9 major global events — many people around the world understand that mountains are crucial to life on earth and that half of humanity depending on mountains for a source of fresh-water. The genetic diversity preserved in mountain ecosystems also helps ensure food..