2013 Theme: “Mountains: Key to a Sustainable Future”
Covering around 27 percent of the earth’s land surface, mountains play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth. They not only provide sustenance and wellbeing to 720 million mountain peoplearound the world, but indirectly benefit billions more living downstream.
In particular, mountains provide freshwater, energy and food – resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades. However, mountains also have a high incidence ofpoverty and are extremely vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, land degradation and natural disasters.
The challenge is to identify new and sustainableopportunities that can bring benefits to both highland and lowland communities and help to eradicate poverty without contributing to the degradation of fragile mountain ecosystems .
In particular, mountains provide freshwater, energy and food – resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades. However, mountains also have a high incidence ofpoverty and are extremely vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, land degradation and natural disasters.
The challenge is to identify new and sustainableopportunities that can bring benefits to both highland and lowland communities and help to eradicate poverty without contributing to the degradation of fragile mountain ecosystems .
Commitment and will to advance this cause were strengthened during the International Year of Mountains in 2002, and mountains have gained an increasingly high profileon agendas at all levels.
The Year also led to the adoption of resolution 57/245, in which the General Assembly designated 11 December as International Mountain Day, and encouraged the international community to organize events at all levels on that day to highlight the importance of sustainable mountain development.
The Year also led to the adoption of resolution 57/245, in which the General Assembly designated 11 December as International Mountain Day, and encouraged the international community to organize events at all levels on that day to highlight the importance of sustainable mountain development.
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass.
| Image | Peak | Basslist | Messnerlist | Elevation | Prominence | Continent | Range | Country | First ascent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mount Everest | ✔ | ✔ | 8,848 m (29,029 ft) | 8,848 m (29,029 ft) | Asia | Himalaya | Nepal /China | 1953 |
 | Aconcagua | ✔ | ✔ | 6,961 m (22,838 ft) | 6,961 m (22,838 ft) | South America | Andes | Argentina | 1897 |
 | Mount McKinley | ✔ | ✔ | 6,194 m (20,322 ft) | 6,144 m (20,157 ft) | North America | Alaska Range | United States | 1913 |
 | Kilimanjaro | ✔ | ✔ | 5,895 m (19,341 ft) | 5,885 m (19,308 ft) | Africa | – | Tanzania | 1889 |
 | Mount Elbrus | ✔ | ✔ | 5,642 m (18,510 ft) | 4,741 m (15,554 ft) | Europe | Caucasus Mountains | Russia | 1874 |
 | Mount Vinson | ✔ | ✔ | 4,892 m (16,050 ft) | 4,892 m (16,050 ft) | Antarctica | Sentinel Range | – | 1966 |
 | Puncak Jaya | ✔ | 4,884 m (16,024 ft) | 4,884 m (16,024 ft) | Australia (continent) | Sudirman Range | Indonesia | 1962 | |
 | Mount Kosciuszko | ✔ | 2,228 m (7,310 ft) | 2,228 m (7,310 ft) | Australia | Great Dividing Range | Australia | 1840 |
No comments:
Post a Comment