Pages: Expert-Dialogue-on-Mountains-and-Climate-Change

Name: Expert-Dialogue-on-Mountains-and-Climate-Change.aspx
Title: UNFCCC Expert Dialogue on Mountains and Climate Change: Insights and Outcomes
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NAP Summary: Expert Dialogue on Mountains and Climate Change: Insights and Outcomes
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Page Content: Photo credit: IISD/ENB - Kiara Worth

Harry Vreuls, Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific
and Technological Advice (SBSTA), convened the expert dialogue on mountains and
climate change on June 5, 2024, during the UN climate conference (SB 60) in
Bonn, Germany. The dialogue brought together experts, policymakers, frontline communities and stakeholders to discuss the impacts of climate change on mountainous ecosystems
and explore solutions to enhance their resilience. The overarching objective of
the dialogue was to enhance understanding of climate impacts on mountains,
showcase resilience solutions, and discuss ways to accelerate climate action at
all levels.

 

Key messages: Building
a collective vision for resilience in mountainous ecosystems

 

“Climate change risks and impacts in mountainous
ecosystems are transboundary in nature and impact downstream communities and
countries. There is a value in building synergy and efforts at transboundary
and regional level.”

 

Mr. Harry Vreuls, Chair of the SBSTA

 

The key take-away messages from the dialogue
include:



There is compelling
evidence from science that the choices and actions implemented in this
decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years. In this
regard, accelerated collective and transformative climate action to build the resilience
of mountain ecosystems is of paramount importance;
Recognizing
that mountain systems are complex, fragmented, and globally distributed,
the solutions necessary to address climate change must be tailored for
mountains and the resources need to match the scale of action required;
Engaging communities and indigenous peoples is vital. Local practices
that consider entire systems’ health and functionality need to be part of the
solutions in strengthening the resilience of mountainous ecosystems;
Recognizing the context
specificity of climate change solutions in all regions, it is key to encourage
the interregional exchange of experiences, data, and lessons learned to
encourage innovation and learning between regions;
There is a need to continue the political momentum, strengthen efforts, and create enabling environments to build resilience of mountainous ecosystems, both under and outside the UNFCCC process.




 

Mountainous ecosystems play pivotal roles in building
climate resilience, through their socio-economic, ecological, and agricultural
functions. Mountains store clean water for downstream communities, provide
livelihoods for inhabitants, support climate-resilient biodiversity, and allow
for high-altitude adapted crop production.

 

Understanding science,
risks, and impacts on mountains due to climate change

 

Experts emphasized the importance of mountain regions and
ecosystems as these represent about a quarter (23.5%) of the global land
surface, with more than 1 billion people residing within these lands and
billions more downstream dependent on mountain resources, particularly water.

 

However, mountains are significantly vulnerable to climate
change, and 1.5 degrees warming is too hot for mountainous ecosystems to be
preserved in the long term (see ICIMODpresentation).

 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted
the cascading effects of climate hazards in mountains and their impacts on mountain
residents and downstream communities. Warming temperatures, melting glaciers
and ice, permafrost thaw, and extreme weather events put communities at
significant risks, including harm to people, damage to infrastructure from
floodings and landslides, adverse impacts to livelihoods and risks to economic
sectors, changes in water availability and management, and changes to
mountainous ecosystems and risk of mountain species extinction (see IPCCpresentation).

 

Solutions contributing
to the resilience of mountainous ecosystems

 

“The mountains are not only our home, but they are
also our guardians or protectors. Only through collaboration and recognition of
our ancestral wisdom can we ensure a sustainable future for humanity.”

 

Maria Eugenia Choque Quispe, Network on Biodiversity
of Indigenous Women from Latin America and the Caribbean

 

Experts presented diverse and innovative solutions to increase
the resilience of mountain ecosystems. Examples include:



The Scaling up Climate
Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through Nationally Determined
Contributions and National Adaptation Plans (SCALA) programme, led by the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has been pivotal in building
resilience in Colombia's mountainous ecosystems. SCALA supports rural producers
with community-led planning and through climate action labs and agrifood system
observatories with national universities;
The United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP)-led Adaptation at Altitude initiative seeks
to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of mountain communities and
ecosystems to climate change. The initiative has been rolled out in the Andes,
East Africa, Hindu Kush Himalaya, and the South Caucasus in collaboration with
partners such as CONDESAN and ICIMOD. The initiative's Adaptation Knowledge Solution
Portal provides access to established climate change adaptation measures for
mountain regions;
As the first international
treaty covering an entire cross-national mountain range, the Alpine
Convention built the Alpine Climate Target System 2050 to achieve climate-neutral
and climate-resilient Alps. The cross-sectoral Climate Action Plan 2.0 involves
adaptation and resilience measures in areas such as agriculture, soils, water,
and forests;
The International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has implemented ecosystem-based adaptation projects
in mountainous areas in countries such as Peru, Nepal, Uganda, and Kenya.
Projects include the protection of water source springs to ensure a clean and
safe water supply for Indigenous communities in Kenya and riverbank restoration
in Uganda.




 

Accelerating climate
action in mountains

 

In breakout groups by region, participants discussed
solutions and ways to accelerate climate action in mountains. Several issues
were highlighted as key to building climate resilience of mountains in many
regions:



Integrating traditional and
Indigenous practices and engaging mountain communities in resilience building;
Placing local communities
at the center of initiatives and ensuring their participation in
decision-making processes;
Scaling up actions focusing
on ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable
agriculture;
Adopting multi-sectoral
approaches and engaging diverse stakeholders in climate action;
Strengthening transboundary
and regional governance, cooperation, and knowledge sharing;
Strengthening scientific assessment
coverage and scope of impacts, risks, monitoring, and evaluation;
Increasing global awareness
and consideration of mountains in international policy discussion, including
under the UNFCCC process.




 

Regional discussions highlighted funding as a critical need to
accelerate action in mountainous ecosystems, showing distinct region-specific priorities,
such as adequate and sustainable funding for research in the Asia-Pacific
region, and promoting institutional stability for regional and national
decision-making platforms in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

“We must allow regional mountain communities to talk
to each other and learn from each other like it is happening for communities in
coastal areas and cities.”

 

Luis Daniel Llambí, Coordinator in the Andes
Adaptation at Altitude Program (CONDESAN)

 

For more information on the expert dialogue, visit: https://unfccc.int/event/expert-dialogue-on-mountains-and-climate-change

Page Image:
Adaptation sector/theme: Water resources; Ecosystems; Biodiversity
Geographic Region: Africa; Asia; Caribbean and Central America; Europe; North America; Pacific/Oceania; South America
Adaptation Element: Adaptation planning and practices; Capacity building; Knowledge management; Stakeholder involvement; Vulnerability assessment
Climate Hazard: Extreme heat; Glaciar retreat; Loss of biodiversity; Wildfire
Article Date: 7/5/2024

Created at 7/5/2024 11:03 AM by unfccc\trusau
Last modified at 7/8/2024 11:35 AM by unfccc\trusau
 
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