Mountains matter more than you might think. Not only are they a source of awe and reverence for humankind, but they also act as a source of life and wellbeing But mountain environments are extremely fragile and face growing threats from climate change and exploitation.
International Mountain Day, observed on 11 December each year, brings awareness to the importance of mountains for all life on Earth and the global challenge of ensuring mountain communities and ecosystems have a sustainable future. This year’s theme is ‘ ’. The theme calls for creative solutions that embrace new technologies, build resilient communities and engage young people to drive positive change for the world’s mountains and the people who depend on them.
Research plays a crucial role in making this possible by uncovering the complex issues facing these unique environments. Discover some of Griffith’s open access research contributing to our understanding of biodiversity, community adaptation and climate change in mountain regions and making an impact on policy and decision-making:
- The living heart: Climate gradients predict desert mountain endemism
- Ecosystem services and livelihoods in a changing climate: Understanding local adaptations in the Upper Koshi, Nepal
- Carbon exchange characteristics and their environmental effects in the northern forest ecosystem of the Greater Khingan Mountains in China
- Climate change adaptation by subsistence and smallholder farmers: Insights from three agro-ecological regions of Nepal
Explore more at Griffith’s institutional repository Griffith Research Online (GRO).
Find out more about the Sustainable Development Goals.
