Responding to Climate Change

WCPA Mountains Biome's Work

 

Climate change is one of the major threats to societies and ecosystems today. Its impacts on mountains of the world are especially critical to life, as they are a prime source of fresh water for most of the world. WCPA Mountains Biome experts develop and share crucial ideas and guidance on ways to effectively respond to these impacts and their growing threats.

They also collaborate globally in strategic workshops to develop and publish "best practices" to focus world attention on major issues and efforts related to climate change response such as:

•  Connectivity Conservation to Preserve Biodiversity - connecting or re-connecting fragmented landscapes and ecosystems. For example, Dr. Graeme Worboys, Dr. Michael Lockwood, and Wendy Lee Francis have published a new management book (see above) on this important topic as an output from our 2006 and 2008 strategic workshops dealing this subject.

• Trans-Boundary Protected Areas - expanding biodiversity protection and cooperation by linking or establishing protected areas that span regional or national borders, for example Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park which includes the border of Canada and the US (shown at right).

• Mountain Ecotourism - finding ways to minimize the impacts of tourism and promote environmental stewardship in mountain regions, such as Sherpas developing systems for expeditions to "leave no trace" of human waste and garbage while climbing on Mount Everest, or rock climbers helping scientists conduct species inventories to assess the impacts of climate change in national parks

The many valuable and timely ideas, innovations, and workable solutions produced by these   strategic workshops are then documented and shared around the world in high-level publications, websites, position statements, projects, events, and programmes. For example, here is information about responding to climate change in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region from ICIMOD.

Mountains Biome members also work individually and with their organizations to focus public attention on climate change issues and devise and implement effective response to climate change. Here are some examples:

• Australia's Biodiversity and Climate Change - Summary for Policy Makers 2009 - Commissioned by the Australian Government
  

• A2A: Alps to Atherton Conservation Corridor along almost the entire eastern coastline of Australia - Dr. Graeme Worboys and other Mountains Biome experts are promoting efforts to create a massive conservation corridor along almost the entire eastern coast of Australia allowing species to migrate due to climate change

• Climate Change and Protected Area Managers - Some contributions that can be made to reduce the effect of climate change. An extensive table of information from Dr. Graeme Worboys on suggested climate change responses/initiatives with expert guidance on how best to implement them effectively in protected areas.

• How can Biosphere Reserve Managers Address the Impacts of Climate Change and Global Warming on Biodiversity? An overview of some global efforts: Climate Change-related information from Dr. Larry Hamilton, Senior Advisor of the WCPA Mountains Biome, that was shared at a presentation delivered at a Transboundary Protected Areas conference in Europe in 2008.

• Dawa Steven Sherpa is working closely with ICIMOD, WWF-Nepal, and other NGOs to launch community-based conservation events and programs in Sherpa villages in the Khumbu/Everest region of Nepal. His local non-profit organization, iDEAS, has produced an excellent documentary about their efforts: CLIMATE CHANGE-A Mountain Community Dares to Take the First Step.



• Himalaya - Changing Landscapes and Climbatology: Documenting and communicating to the world the effects of climate change in the Everest region. Dr. Alton Byers and Dawa Steven Sherpa and their organizations are working to raise awareness of the dangers to ecosystems and cultures of rapidly-melting glaciers

• Using "Citizen Scientists" to assess climate change impacts in Yosemite National Park - Linda McMillan is helping climbers serve as "citizen-scientists" to help park scientists conduct species inventories on the Yosemite's vertical granite landscapes   

• Climate change-related work and information was also contributed by Dr. Fausto Sarmiento, Deputy Vice Chairman of the WCPA Mountains Biome and member of the Science Advisory Board of the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) representing the International Human Dimensions Program (IHDP) on Global Environmental Change. His climate-change work included:

• WCPA Task Force of Protected Landscapes - Nowhere is the changing climate becoming more noticeable than in tropical glaciers and other mountain areas where studies of hydrology, biodiversity, etc. are linked to steep topography. Dr. Sarmiento helped to produce two volumes (agrobiodiversity and sacred sites) emphasizing the novel approach of category V amidst the changing landscapes and uncertainties of climate change.

• Edited volume (Num. 163) of PIRINEOS, the Journal of Mountain Ecology, which featured several articles dealing with Farmscape Transformation and Global Change in the Andes. Several of those are a result of a regional workshop held in Mendoza, Argentina (April, 2006) within the MRI sponsored CONCORD meeting.

• IHDP Update - Mountainous Regions: Laboratories for Adaptation (Feb. 2008 issue) contains information about how mountains are being used as laboratories for adaptation to climate change

• Climate Change Clearinghouse is a website featuring weekly updates with climate change news and information updated from our Mountains Network member Dr. Charles Chester of Massachusetts (USA).