High Stakes: The future for mountain societies

Mountains are water towers for humanity, the source of some 60 to 80 per cent of the world’s fresh water resources. They shelter nearly half of the world’s biodiversity “hot spots”. They provide valuable economic resources, too, producing major supplies of minerals, timber, and hydropower. And they are home to rich cultures that are storehouses of traditional knowledge.” Over the last 10 years there has been a recognition that mountains not only possess immense natural resources, they are also essential to the survival of the global ecosystem. As a result, there has been increasing..