Publications
Mountains occupy 24% of the global land surface area and are home to 12% of the world’s population. Mountains have an ecological, aesthetic, and socioeconomic significance, not only for those living in the mountain areas, but also for people living beyond them. About 10% of the world’s population depends directly on mountain resources for their livelihoods and wellbeing, and an estimated 40%...
Along with the Greater Himalaya, in the eastern Himalayan region there has been increased efforts to bring more areas under the Protected Area Network. Protected areas including conservation areas in Arunachal Pradesh are mostly located in the low and mid-elevation forest areas. To address the need of having a protected area in the higher altitudes of the State, of late a biosphere reserve has...
This study offers a perspective on the changing use and social significance of the Sibillini mountains over time. Interestingly, taking a historical overview provides a kind of intellectual framework for perceiving today’s demand that mountains offer increasing tourist and health related activities, provide a refuge, and an environment for counter urbanization.This study is the first...
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20) to be held in June 2012 will have green economy as one of its two main themes. This paper has been prepared to strengthen arguments for discussing mountain issues at Rio+20 and in other global discourses. The aim is to ensure renewed efforts and commitment by the global community at Rio+20 to prioritise mountain issues in...
Mountains offer vertical environmental gradients for life otherwise only seen over several thousands of kilometers of latitudinal distance. A gravity shaped extremely diverse topography provides opportunities for additional diversification of life, leading to unbeaten biodiversity. Mountains are cradles and refuges of organismic diversity and given their coverage of such a wide spectrum of...
The history of Le Marche in Central Italy is very well documented, yet there are few if any books which take the little settlements in the Sibillini mountains (located over 700 meters altitude) as their focal point. Instead, historical writing mentions these mountain hamlets marginally, without detail. Furthermore, there is a total lack of any history of these mountain communities in English....
A joint FAO/CDE publication examines one of the least-known environments in the world. Dryland mountains are of great strategic value to regional and global development – they provide 90% of the freshwater supply to surrounding dry lowlands – and yet they are often overlooked by decision- and policymakers.Dryland mountains are of great strategic value to regional and global development. They...
The World Health Organization (WHO) lists indoor air pollution (IAP) (1) from primitive household cooking fires as the leading environmental cause of death in the world, as it contributes to nearly 2.0 million deaths annually (2)—more deaths than are caused each year by malaria. Almost half of the planet lives in poverty, and those households generally use biomass (wood, crop residues, charcoal,...
Within the project “cc.alps – climate change: thinking one step further!” the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) investigates climate response measures in the Alps. CIPRA compiles information on climate protection activities and adjustments to climate change in the Alps (hereinafter referred to as climate response measures) and analyses the impacts of these climate...
The Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) was developed by the Papa Andina Regional Initiative of the International Potato Center (CIP) to improve the competitiveness of potato market chains and small potato producers in the Andean region of South America. Beginning in 2005, CIP and Papa Andina partnered with the Regional Potato and Sweetpotato Improvement Network in Eastern and Central...