De er guld værd for menneskeheden, men stærkt truede kloden over
ROME, 9 December 2011: The integrity and resilience (modstandsdygtighed) of mountain forests is under threat from increasing temperatures and wildfires, population growth and food and fuel insecurity, warns a new FAO publication Friday.
Population pressures and the expansion of intensive agriculture have forced smallholder farmers to move higher towards Mountain Forests in a Changing World”.
It also notes that climate change is likely to facilitate more rapid expansion by pests and disease-causing organisms which may cause additional damage to mountain forests.
The report, jointly produced by the FAO-hosted Mountain Partnership Secretariat and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, was published in the lead up to the UN International Mountain Day Sunday (11.12.).
– Mountain forests protect local communities against natural disasters and they safeguard the natural resources and environmental services that billions of people rely on for their well-being and livelihoods, said Eduardo Rojas-Briales, FAO’s Assistant Director General for Forestry.
– Mountain forests are being affected by many global challenges, such as climate change, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity and desertification, but they also offer significant opportunities for solutions. Sustainable development of mountain forests requires and deserves a prominent place on the international agenda, noted he.
Source of fresh water
Mountains provide 60 percent of the world’s freshwater resources despite covering only 12 percent of the Earth’s surface, FAO’s report says.
Mountain forests strongly influence both the quantity and quality of water supplies to mountain and lowland communities and industries.
When forests are removed from mountains and land is left unprotected, runoff and soil erosion increase, with water quality deteriorating in streams and rivers as a consequence.
Many cities depend heavily on mountain water — for example, 40 percent of the water for Tegucigalpa, Honduras, comes from the cloud forests of La Tigra National Park.
In Kenya, water from Mount Kenya generates 97 percent of that country’s hydroelectric power. In Asia, the Tibetan plateau acts as a water tower for around 3 billion people.
Integration in climate change policies
Læs videre på http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/116593/icode
