International Mountain Day 2011: Mountain Forests

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as the “International Mountain Day”. The occasion is observed each year with a different theme relevant to sustainable mountain development. In order to ensure the link and the contribution to the International Year of Forests, the theme for the International Mountain Day 2011 is “Mountain Forests”. It aims to raise awareness about the relevance of mountain forests and the role they play within a Green Economy as well as in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

This year’s International Mountain Day provides an apt occasion to reflect on the importance of healthy mountain forests to the ecological health of the world. Mountain forests protect local communities against natural disasters. They safeguard the natural resources and environmental services for the well-being and livelihoods of billions of people all over the world.

Communication and promotional material prepared by FAO to help you celebrate this special event and to share it with your relevant key-partners can be downloaded from the following website: http://www.fao.org/mnts/en/. For any further information or specific questions related to this year’s theme, please contact Gérard Marquis (gerard.marquis@fao.org) or mountain-day@fao.org.  

In the follow-up to the International Mountain Day 2011 please do not forget to send us a report about the celebrations of the Day in your country or institution. Also we would very much appreciate receiving feedback on the relevance and usefulness of the communication materials we have provided.

Forest Assessment, Management and Conservation Division
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome - Italy