An untapped potential for cooperation in science and technology for mountain conservation and sustainable development: The case of the Andes and the Himalayas

The Andes and the Himalayas are the two most massive and extended mountain ecosystems in the world. Despite some important geographical differences between them, they share many commonalities. In addition, they have both witnessed the development of ancient and complex civilizations and are currently inhabited by rural communities that carry an ancient heritage including traditional patterns of management of natural resources. In the past the great geographical and cultural distances between both regions precluded the possibilities of information exchanges, less so cooperation. The contemporary facilities of information and communication technologies have shortened those distances thus opening the possibilities for exchanges of information and experiences, thus facilitating a novel breakthrough in so called "horizontal cooperation". This paper discussed the major similarities and differences between both mountain regions and attempts to identify several areas with prospects for a fruitful cooperation in the areas of science, technology, culture and commerce. Examples of effective and beneficial cooperation are presented in the fields of mountain agriculture and livestock development, cottage industries, decentralized renewable energies, tourism, risk engineering, etc. It also explains in which way this "mountain to mountain" cooperation and exchange could benefit and enrich the drives from the public and private sectors to protect these biodiversity-rich and singular ecosystems, as well as their cultural heritages, while offering creative and mountain-adapted responses to the challenges of the future. Finally, it suggests how to move forward to promote this type of cooperation.