Press
Release No.2002-84
MOUNTAIN SUMMIT
OPENS IN KYRGYZSTAN
Climate change
the focus of UNESCO initiative
Bishkek, October 29 - UNESCO's
Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today announced a new
UNESCO initiative to use its unique network of biosphere reserves
to monitor global climate change. In his opening address to the
Global Mountain Summit that kicked off today in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan),
he pointed out that mountains are proving to be extremely sensitive
to global change. And out of 408 biosphere reserves in 94 countries,
138 are in mountain areas. "Mountain biosphere reserves are
ideal natural research centers for studying global change and
monitoring its effects on the socio-economic conditions of mountain
people" said Mr Matsuura".
The sensitivity of mountains to
global climate change has gradually emerged over the past few
decades, but has only recently received wide recognition. One
of the most dramatic signs is that glaciers in most of the world's
mountains are melting. The famous snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro
(Tanzania) has already lost some 82% of its permafrost since 1912
- and a third of this in the past two decades. Glaciers in mountain
ranges around the world, from the Alps to the Andes and the Rockies,
tell a similar tale.
The increased rate of glacial melting
has caused vast lakes to develop, only held back by precarious
dams formed of boulders that had been captive in the frozen water
for thousands of years. If the water breaks through the dyke,
it can inundate towns and villages below. Only this summer, emergency
workers pumped out a 16-hectare lake formed by the Belvedere Glacier
on Monte Rosa in Italy that posed a threat to the Italian village
of Macugnaga.
The new project is being carried
out in partnership with the scientific community through a number
of existing programmes, including the Mountain Research Initiative
(MRI) based in Berne (Switzerland), the International Human Dimensions
Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP), and the International
Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). With these partners, UNESCO
is currently selecting biosphere reserve sites from each of the
major mountainous regions of the world as the focus for this new
global climate change monitoring programme.
The Bishkek Summit, organized by
Kyrgyzstan is the culminating event in the International Year
of the Mountain that draws to a close in December. Over 400 delegates
will be meeting for the next four days to discuss strategies for
the sustainable development of mountains.
As well as being home to some 500
million people, mountain areas are the source of water for more
than half of the world's population. Because of their difficult
accessibility, mountains are also rich sources of cultural and
biological diversity. And while they are often areas of major
conflict, they have been places for spiritual retreat since ancient
times. "Mountains," said Mr Matsuura, "have great
potential for becoming places of dialogue."
The International Year of the Mountain
was the result of a suggestion by the President of the Kyrgyz
Republic, Askar Akayev. At the opening of the Summit, Mr Matsuura
presented Mr Akaev with a certificate officially recognising the
second biosphere reserve in Kyrgyzstan, Issyk Kul, which was added
to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves last year. "This
spectacular site, rising from Lake Issyk Kul to over 7,000 metres
above sea level, comprises important conservation areas for flora
and fauna, as well as significant cultural sites," said Mr
Matsuura. "But most importantly, it is a model site for demonstrating
that the conservation of the environment can be accomplished through
promoting sustainable development in partnership with and for
the benefit of the people inhabiting the area. It is a living
example of how the integration of science, education and culture
can be a moving force for enhancing sustainable development."
UNESCO is supporting a range of
ecotourism initiatives in three countires in Central Asia (Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and in neighbouring India, Iran, Nepal,
and Pakistan. The network aims to help poor communities, mainly
in mountain areas, to use tourism as a sustainable source of income
while promoting conservation.
****
For more information on the conference
see:
http://www.unesco.org/mab/IYM.htm
http://www.mri.unibe.ch/Pages/contents.html
http://www.fao.org/GTOS/
http://www.igbp.kva.se/cgi-bin/php/frameset.php
http://www.globalmountainsummit.org/home_page.html
In Bishkek, contact:
Peter Coles, Bureau of Public Information, Editorial Section
+33-6 1469 5498
