Land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

The Future We Want warns about the vulnerability of fragile mountain ecosystems to the adverse impacts of climate change, deforestation and forest degradation, land use change, land degradation and natural disasters, the marginalisation of its communities. Therefore, it invites States to reinforce cooperative action with effective involvement and sharing of experience of all relevant stakeholders and to adopt a long-term vision and holistic approaches, including through incorporating mountain-specific policies into national sustainable development strategies, which could include, inter alia, poverty reduction plans and programmes for mountain areas, particularly in developing countries. Prior to Rio+20, Sustainable Mountain Development was discussed at the third session of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the nineteenth Special Session of the General Assembly, held in 1997. The following year, the General Assembly also proclaimed 2002 as the International Year of Mountains, by adopting without a vote, a draft resolution recommended by the Economic and Social Council.