Doha Climate Change Conference COP 18

What is Mountain Day?

Mountain Day is organized each year during the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to:

• Bring attention to the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems and mountain people to climate change impacts and discuss the options for adaptation and resilience building;

• Promote better understanding of the role played by mountain ecosystems in providing and protecting resources such as water, food, energy and biodiversity;

• Share knowledge regarding mountains and climate change and innovative ideas about adaptation options from different regions;

• Debate scientific gaps and policy actions needed by bringing together global mountain stakeholders at a single forum; and

• Provide appropriate options and solutions to UNFCCC negotiators on adaptation and mitigation actions to climate change in mountain areas.

Mountain Day is an opportunity to build consensus and develop a common position among mountain stakeholders regarding mountain-specific climate change issues and solutions. By sending out a strong message to negotiators and policy makers, it aims to ensure that mountains become a priority agenda in the global climate discourse.

Why Mountain Day 2?

The first Mountain Day, organized at the COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, highlighted the critical role that mountain ecosystems play in climate adaptation and global sustainable development as well as the high vulnerabilities of mountains and the millions of people who directly depend on their goods and services. The Call for Action issued at Mountain Day 1 focused on the need to recognize the global value of mountain ecosystems and to create incentives to protect them. The declaration from the recently concluded Rio+20 summit, entitled The Future We Want, have not only recognized the message of Mountain Day 1, but have also called on member States to bolster cooperative actions “by strengthening existing arrangements, agreements, and centers of excellence for sustainable mountain development”. Mountain Day 2 is an opportunity to build on the gains made for mountains at Rio+20.

What Will Happen at Mountain Day 2?

The main aim of the Mountain Day 2 will be to share scientific and practical information and knowledge to advocate mountain agenda to the UNFCCC negotiators. Partners of the event will be presenting and sharing the stories, experiences, and research findings on the climate change related impacts mountain people are facing increased vulnerability and impacts on the ecosystems services generated by the mountains. The technical discussions and knowledge café sessions will highlight the increasing economic and environmental roles mountain people and ecosystems play in enhancing food, water, energy and ecological security in and beyond mountain regions. The event aims to bring together the voices and concerns of most of the stakeholders on a single platform and develop common position to advocate mountain agenda in the UNFCCC processes.

What are the expected outcomes of the Mountain Day 2?

• Maintain the momentum for the Mountain Agenda by increasing awareness of the multiple dimensions of climate change impacts in mountain regions;

• Increase the political awareness of mountain-specific vulnerabilities and the urgent need for mountain-specific adaptation and mitigation programme;

• Recognize the contributions of mountain ecosystems in enhancing food security, livelihoods, and sustainable development;

• Communicate the broader economic and environmental values of mountain ecosystem goods and services, especially water and forests, in supporting adaptation measures and efforts to build the resilience in both upstream and downstream regions.

Organizers of the Mountain Day 2

Mountain Day 2 is being organized jointly by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) / FAO in the context of the Strategic Initiative for Mountains and Climate Change funded by the Development Grant Facility of the World Bank. Other sponsors and partners include the Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), the Water and Climate Coalition (WCC), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the ICIMOD-based Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP) and the Government of Nepal.

Tentative Programme

Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Doha
Date: 3 December, 10:00 to 19:30 Hours

10:00 – 11:00 Registration
11:00 – 11:45 Opening session
11:45 – 13:15 Climate change stories from the mountains
13:15 – 14:15 Lunch
14:15 – 16:00 Integrated management of mountain water resources
16:15 – 18:00 Role of mountains in food security and livelihoods
18:00 – 19:30 High level round table and closing
19:30 onward Cocktail Dinner

Parallel Session: Knowledge Café and Dialogue on Climate Change and Mountains

11:00-17:00

For further information contact:

Madhav Karki
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal

Thomas Hofer
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations