Polar and Climate
The polar and high mountains are the planet’s barometers, telling us a great deal about the present and future effects of climate change.
This brief highlights the importance of forest ecosystems and biodiversity in mountain regions and the need to integrate them into the sustainable development goals (SDGs), by proposing mountain-specific targets and indicators.
Mountain forests deliver ecosystem goods and services to communities in the mountains and in the adjacent lowland areas, providing clean water, and helping to buffer the impacts of natural hazards. However, growing demand from local and international users, and the unsustainable use of forest and biodiversity resources, pose a threat to these ecosystems.
Promoting and developing solutions for the sustainable management of mountain forests will be essential to prevent further losses of ecosystems and their services.
This brief was part of an overall initiative of the Mountain Partnership to mainstream mountain-related issues into the SDG process.