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| Why
Mountains? |
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Most mountain
people did not benefit from the first green revolution, nor
are likely to benefit nearly as much from new market based
strategies as lowland populations, due to disadvantages associated
with isolation, and distances from markets.
On the other hand mountains are vital
components of this earth. One quarter of the earth surface
are covered with areas classified by the UN as mountains.
Mountains are home for 720 million people, or 12% of the world
population. Of these, 90% live in developing or transition
countries. |
| The distribution
of populations in mountains varies greatly. For example, in
Central America 53%, in East Africa 23% and in the near East
33% respectively of people live in mountains. They include the
world's poorest and marginalized people, as well as knowledge
rich, culturally diverse minority indigenous populations. |
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Overall as quarter of the
world's population lives in or is closely associated with mountains.
Half the world's population depends on water from mountains.
In addition, mountains are rich sources of minerals, power;
contain 50% of the world's genetic diversity, and 38% of the
forests. They are early warning systems for climate change. |
The environments represented by geographical structures called
mountains require separate strategies, knowledge and policies
that differ from lowlands. They represent many of the challenges
of poverty alleviation, NRM & environment in a nutshell. |
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Copyright @ 2007
Global Mountain Program (GMP)
P.O. Box 1558, Lima 12, Peru
Tel: +51-1-349-6017 Fax: +51-1-317-5326 |
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