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E/CN.17/1997/2/Add.12 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
22 January 1997
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Fifth session
7-25 April 1997
Overall progress achieved since the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development
Report of the Secretary-General
Addendum
Managing fragile ecosystems: sustainable
mountain development*
(Chapter 13 of Agenda 21)
(* The report was prepared by FAO as task manager for chapter 13 of
Agenda 21, in accordance with arrangements agreed to by the Inter-
Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (IACSD). It is the result
of consultation and information exchange between United Nations
agencies, international and national organizations, interested
government agencies, national and international non-governmental
organizations and a range of other institutions and individuals.)
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
I. KEY OBJECTIVES ....................................... 1 - 2 2
II. SUCCESSES ............................................ 3 - 9 2
III. PROMISING CHANGES .................................... 10 - 16 5
IV. UNFULFILLED EXPECTATIONS ............................. 17 - 20 7
V. EMERGING PRIORITIES .................................. 21 - 31 8
I. KEY OBJECTIVES
1. The present report reviews progress made in the implementation of
the objectives set out in chapter 13 of Agenda 21 (Managing fragile
ecosystems: sustainable mountain development), 1/ taking into account
the decisions taken by the Commission on Sustainable Development on
that subject at its third session, in 1995. The present report
focuses on a limited number of key objectives of chapter 13 of Agenda
21, including those that are considered the most relevant in the
follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) context and that have been identified as priority
concerns in chapter 13 follow-up. Those objectives are related to
programme areas A (Generating and strengthening knowledge about the
ecology and sustainable development of mountain ecosystems) and B
(Promoting integrated watershed development and alternative livelihood
opportunities). The two areas are often dealt with together in the
framework of an integrated ecosystems approach to sustainable mountain
development. However, the key objectives dealt with in the present
report go beyond those identified in programme areas A and B of
chapter 13 to include new themes that have come to light more
recently.
2. More specifically, chapter 13 focuses mainly on the following
objectives:
(a) Raising awareness of the importance of and improving
understanding of sustainable mountain development issues at the
global, regional and national levels;
(b) Protecting natural resources and developing technical and
institutional arrangements for natural disaster reduction;
(c) Strengthening a global information network and database for
organizations, Governments and individuals concerned with mountain
issues;
(d) Strengthening country capacity to improve planning,
implementation and monitoring of sustainable mountain development
programmes and activities;
(e) Combating poverty through the promotion of sustainable
income-generating activities and the improvement of infrastructure and
social services, in particular to protect the livelihood of local
communities and indigenous people;
(f) Formulating and negotiating regional or subregional mountain
conventions and possibly developing a global mountain charter.
II. SUCCESSES
3. Since thinking about sustainable mountain development has evolved
over the five years since UNCED, the issues raised in chapter 13
(which is often referred to as the "mountain agenda") have expanded
beyond the original themes of the chapter to include, for example, new
emphasis on conservation, culture, sacred values and landscape
diversity. The element of spirituality surrounding mountains and the
often special relationship between mountain peoples and the land they
live on and care for has gained greater recognition over recent years,
and has become an essential driving force in the movement to conserve
mountain environments and cultures. Recently, especially in Africa,
the contribution of mountain ranges to water resource flows, more
specifically in the chain linking water to food security, has been
highlighted. There is also increasing recognition of the importance
of mountain areas in terms of biodiversity conservation, economic
potential and protection of downstream interests. That has led to a
greater willingness to address development and conservation needs
through investment programmes in areas that have traditionally been
neglected in national-level development planning.
4. Progress has been made in creating greater awareness of the
mountain agenda and improving coordination of efforts to protect
fragile mountain ecosystems and promote sustainable mountain
development, largely as a result of international and regional
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations consultations,
which have provided a focus on key mountain issues and led to
recommendations relevant at both the global and regional levels.
Regional intergovernmental consultations have been held for Asia
(1994), Latin America (1995), Europe (two sessions, 1996) and Africa
(1996); a regional non-governmental organizations consultation was
also held for Europe (1996). Other important meetings include the
International Non-Governmental Organizations Consultation on the
Mountain Agenda, held at Lima in February 1995, and other regional,
subregional and national initiatives, such as the second international
symposium on the theme "Sustainable mountain development: managing
fragile ecosystems in the Andes" (Bolivia, 1995); an international
symposium on the theme "Karakorum-Hindu Kush-Himalaya: dynamics of
change" (Pakistan, 1995); an international symposium on agricultural
development in mountain and hill areas (China, 1996); the Rwenzori
Mountains Conference (Uganda, 1996); and an international conference
on the theme "Ecohydrology of high mountain areas" (Nepal, 1996). In
addition, awareness of the importance of transboundary cooperation in
mountain protected areas has been increased as a result of a
transboundary mountain protected area workshop, held in Australia in
1995.
5. New institutional arrangements at the global and regional levels
have also contributed to progress in achieving and improving
communications networking and in providing an information
clearing-house function, in part through the creation in 1995 of the
Mountain Forum, a network of organizations and institutions with a
shared interest in sustainable mountain development. With major
financial support provided by the Government of Switzerland, the
Mountain Forum operates primarily as a decentralized structure with
regional focal points established to coordinate networking activities.
The Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean
Ecoregion, convened by the International Potato Center (CIP), a member
of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, has
been selected as the focal point for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
is coordinating networking in Asia and the Pacific, both at the
regional level through the Asia Pacific Mountain Network and at the
subregional level since the establishment of the North and Central
Asia Mountain Network. Together with The Mountain Institute, those
organizations make up the Mountain Forum's Interim Facilitating
Committee, which has been set up at the global level with the specific
purpose of assisting in building the network. Regional networks are
also being established in Europe and Africa, mainly through the
efforts of non-governmental organizations. The Mountain Forum is one
of several innovative partnerships and alliances being studied under
the Global Excellence in Management Initiative by Case Western Reserve
University in the United States of America. Documenting the way in
which the Mountain Forum is expanding capacity beyond its own
organizational boundaries is expected to be an important outcome of
the study. Another important example of new regional cooperation is
the Asociacio'n de Montan~as Andinas, whose main objective is to
contribute to implementation of chapter 13 in the Andes.
6. Land-use planning and management tools are being developed for
mountain watershed areas through the preparation of principles and
best practices for sustainable mountain development programmes. They
are intended to serve as a tool for national and subnational planning,
and are expected to build on existing guidelines on mountain
conservation and development. They should also be complementary to
the guidelines and planning tools that have been developed in other
sectors, such as national forestry action programmes and national
conservation strategies, and should be consistent with land-use
planning tools being developed under chapter 10 of Agenda 21. That
work is expected to be field tested, refined and in limited use by the
year 2000.
7. In a growing number of countries, the livelihoods of local
communities and indigenous populations are being protected and
improved through mountain development programmes and projects that
include a variety of income-generating activities and the improvement
of infrastructure and social services. A significant change has been
observed in many development assistance projects, which currently tend
to include greater support to human development and poverty
alleviation in addition to more traditional technical concerns of
watershed management and protection. The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/Italy Interregional Project
for Participatory Upland Conservation and Development, which has been
operating in five countries since 1991, provides a promising example
of an approach that focuses simultaneously on developing new
livelihood opportunities and carrying out watershed management and
natural resource conservation, through planning efforts led by local
stakeholders. Requests for assistance in mountainous developing
countries are being received by donors and development cooperation
agencies to improve planning and implementation of programmes that aim
to achieve a good balance between local development needs and resource
protection and conservation.
8. Progress has been made in the area of biodiversity conservation in
mountain areas through action taken by many countries in establishing
new protected areas, in undertaking trans-frontier collaboration in
protected area management, and in the development of several recent
initiatives to link mountain protected areas through corridors in
mountain ranges so that large protected bioregions are established.
Additionally, more attention has been devoted to the important
contributions that have been made by farmers and indigenous peoples to
the conservation of biological diversity, as demonstrated, for
example, by the use of potatoes as a staple food crop in the Andes.
As the issue of mountain biodiversity conservation receives increasing
attention, linkages are being reinforced with the Convention on
Biological Diversity. For example, the conclusions of the European
intergovernmental consultation on mountains related to that issue were
presented and discussed at the third meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention, held in November 1996 at Buenos Aires.
9. Progress has been made in the development of criteria and
indicators for sustainable mountain development, based on a
collaborative effort involving United Nations bodies and a limited
number of other organizations and institutions. That work has focused
on the condition of natural resources, human welfare and population
dynamics. If the indicators currently being developed are to be of
practical use and effective, however, further elaboration will be
required, including input from planners and practitioners, especially
at the country level. Once refined and field tested, the indicators
being developed under chapter 13 are expected to provide planners and
executing agencies with a basis for monitoring and assessing the
impact and sustainability of mountain development programmes.
III. PROMISING CHANGES
10. New forms of partnership are coming about as a result of increased
collaboration and interaction between the public and private sectors,
in which Governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental
organizations have found common ground and engaged in constructive
dialogue. There has been a concerted and participatory effort,
particularly over the past three years, to amplify the original aims
and objectives of chapter 13 by forging consensus on priorities and
identifying the differing strengths and capacities of public, private
and non-governmental organizations sectors to contribute to
implementation. In addition, there has been greater emphasis on
including local populations and community groups in identifying and
planning mountain development activities. New partnerships are also
being realized between mountain research and development interests.
International research institutes, such as CIP, ICIMOD, the
International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (in particular
through the African Highlands Initiative) and the joint United Nations
University (UNU)/International Mountain Society (IMS) project, which
have either a specific mountain focus or include strong mountain
research programmes, have been active members of the inter-agency
network on mountains. That has served to strengthen the linkages and
interaction between mountain research and development interests. Such
organizations as the International Union for Conservation of Nature-
World Conservation Union (IUCN), the International Center for Alpine
Environments and the International Livestock Research Institute have
increased their involvement in mountain conservation and development,
and have developed new partnerships through their roles in planning
and implementing the regional intergovernmental consultations in
Europe and Africa.
11. Although there are still relatively few activities that have been
initiated directly as a result of chapter 13, the willingness of most
regions of the world to engage in intergovernmental and
non-governmental consultations on the topic of sustainable mountain
development has been an important step in implementation since UNCED.
That process has allowed for clearer definition of the challenges
facing each region and possible responses to them, and a stronger
sense of involvement and commitment on the part of Governments and
other concerned stakeholders as the discussion has focused on issues
of greater direct relevance at the regional and national level. That
consultation process has been carried out over a relatively short
period, having begun only in late 1994, with the majority of meetings
having taken place during 1996. Although there has been insufficient
interest to date by Governments of North America to hold an
intergovernmental consultation there, a meeting organized by non-
governmental organizations, to which Governments would also be invited
is currently under discussion. As a result of those regional
meetings, greater activity is expected at the national and regional
levels in terms of specific mountain development and conservation
programmes and reinforced institutional arrangements. Regional
networks, in addition to those in Asia and Latin America, are also
being established in Europe and Africa, following consultations held
in 1996. In accordance with the recommendations of the Commission on
Sustainable Development at its third session, upon completion of the
regional consultations a wider international meeting on sustainable
mountain development is expected to be held. Several Governments have
already expressed their support for holding such a meeting, the
objectives of which, however, would need to be clearly defined and
perceived as timely and relevant to ongoing implementation for the
countries and organizations involved.
12. The maintenance and generation of database and information systems
to facilitate the integrated management and environmental assessment
of mountain ecosystems has seen little progress to date; however, that
is expected to change in the near future given new and evolving
institutional arrangements and new technologies becoming available for
that type of work. In the area of conventional dissemination of
scientific and developmental information on mountains, the quarterly
journal Mountain Research and Development, co-published by UNU and
IMS, continues as the only scholarly publication of its kind
worldwide.
13. Improvements to the ecological knowledge base for technologies and
agricultural and conservation practices in the mountain regions of the
world have been slow but have recently been increasing. Most
conservation and development programmes in mountain areas now contain
specific components for improving databases on biological resources.
On the other hand, economic, sociological and cultural information are
still largely unavailable. Greater emphasis is being placed on the
importance of understanding and promoting appropriate indigenous and
locally adapted technologies.
14. Transnational cooperation has also been improving. There is an
increased willingness to work across national borders marked by
mountain chains, in particular for scientific reasons, such as to
study the behaviour of migratory species, for environmental
conservation purposes, and for ecological/economic reasons among
countries sharing major watercourses. Transborder collaboration among
biosphere reserves is a new emerging topic in the Man and the
Biosphere programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, in particular in Eastern and Central Europe.
There is also a need for greater cooperation among countries sharing
water resources, especially in many regions of the world where there
is growing demand for water.
15. Work has progressed on the better understanding and dissemination
of information regarding environmental risks and natural disasters in
mountain ecosystems. At the twentieth session of the FAO/European
Forestry Commission Working Party on the Management of Mountain
Watersheds, held at Lillehammer, Norway, in July 1996, the topic of
mitigation of natural disasters in mountain areas received significant
attention, both in the European and global context. That topic was
also dealt with in depth at the June 1996 meeting of INTERPRAEVENT, a
group of European experts meeting at Garmisch, Germany, to discuss
cooperation in research, technology transfer, planning and development
relating to natural resources management in mountain areas, at which
the protection of alpine areas against natural disasters, such as
floods, avalanches and mudflows, was discussed at length. ICIMOD has
also been very active in that field, and has recently launched a
training programme for mountain risk engineering in the Himalayas.
Also, the Working Group on Natural Disasters of the International
Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) plans to hold a
meeting in the framework of the Eleventh World Forestry Congress
(Antalya, Turkey, 13-22 October 1997). The meeting will consider,
inter alia, hazard prevention measures in mountain regions. That
cross-cutting issue is expected to receive increasing attention in the
near future as a result of greater awareness created through
international initiatives, such as the 1994 World Conference on
Natural Disaster Reduction, and new and ongoing efforts by
international bodies, such as those mentioned above.
16. Perhaps most importantly and underlying most other factors that
have contributed to the relatively successful implementation of
chapter 13 is the notion of commitment. Many of those who advocate
the sustainable development and conservation of mountain regions and
peoples speak with conviction and deep emotional commitment to many of
the causes espoused by chapter 13. The various stakeholders working
on mountain-related issues, whether from local communities, non-
governmental organizations, Governments or international
organizations, often share a common view of the importance and
uniqueness of mountain areas and cultures, and carry out their work
with a strong sense of dedication. Their conviction and the
partnerships that were forged prior to UNCED, were instrumental in
gaining chapter status for mountains under Agenda 21, and in
maintaining close collaboration throughout the post-UNCED period.
IV. UNFULFILLED EXPECTATIONS
17. Several objectives of chapter 13 remain unfulfilled or have seen
little or no progress towards implementation, as described below.
Survey work
18. Adequate progress has still to be made in undertaking integrated
survey work of the different natural resources and their use in
mountain ecosystems, and carrying out related activities needed to
strengthen knowledge about the ecology of mountain ecosystems.
Although greater progress is being made at the regional level, a
longer time-frame than the five years since UNCED will be required to
achieve a more thorough understanding of the knowledge base globally.
National-level institutional arrangements
19. Although the issue has been raised in various forums since UNCED,
there continues to be a lack of new institutional arrangements at the
national level to enable a more comprehensive and integrated approach
to mountain conservation and development. In spite of increased
international attention since UNCED on the need for reform (through
chapter 13 follow-up), examples of departments, programmes or
legislation that deal with mountain issues in a more integrated way
are still rare, which has been an inhibiting factor in carrying out
comprehensive national mountain development planning.
Special attention to mountainous island countries and landlocked
countries
20. Little attention has been paid so far to the need for specific
consideration for mountainous island countries and landlocked
mountainous countries. Island countries face a unique situation,
especially with regard to water resources. Greater efforts are needed
to better understand the technical issues facing that category of
countries.
V. EMERGING PRIORITIES
21. Upon completion of the current consultation process for chapter 13
follow-up in late 1996, many of the issues concerning sustainable
mountain development, which have so far been discussed in rather
general terms at the global level, will also have benefited from
discussion in a regional context, allowing for further elaboration,
refinement and regionally specific proposals for action. That process
has allowed an increased focus on specific objectives of chapter 13
and better understanding of how they can best be achieved. Some key
objectives that have emerged during UNCED and the five-year review
period, for which it now seems likely that obstacles to achievement
can be overcome, are described below.
Special status of mountain areas
22. One of the important achievements of the chapter 13 review process
has been greater recognition of mountain areas as special and distinct
from lowland areas, and therefore worthy of special attention. That
recognition is seen as a key factor in the recent change of attitude
of Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental
organizations to pay greater attention to mountain conservation and
development, as well as in the mobilization of the resources that will
be needed for increased investment in mountain areas. Greater action
at the national level is required, including, for example, the
formulation of national mountain development plans as part of national
development plans.
Legal and institutional mechanisms
23. There is also greater recognition of the need for new or
reinforced legal mechanisms (charters, conventions, national
legislation etc.) to protect fragile mountain ecosystems and promote
sustainable and equitable development in mountain regions.
Additionally, Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-
governmental organizations agree that more suitable institutional
mechanisms are required to assure an integrated approach in view of
the complexity of mountain ecosystems and the socio-economic issues at
stake.
Investment in mountain development and conservation
24. More mountain-specific investment programmes and greater
mobilization of financial resources for mountain development and
conservation programmes will be required in order for real progress to
take place on the mountain agenda. In some cases, that may mean
formulating and financing programmes that are focused exclusively on
mountain areas; other situations may lend themselves to expanding
conservation and development programmes that have been designed for
lowland areas to include mountain areas as well. There are promising
signs of greater willingness on the part of Governments to increase
investment levels in mountain areas, which have historically been
neglected. In addition, bilateral and multilateral donors have
expressed greater willingness to assist mountainous developing
countries in elaborating and implementing mountain development plans
and programmes, in accordance with the increased attention being given
to mountain regions and a redefinition of priorities. Greater
investment potential in upland areas is motivated not only by the need
to protect downstream infrastructure and populations but also by the
realization of the importance of economic development of mountain
populations for their own benefit and the potential contribution to
national economies, as well as by an increasing awareness of the
importance of biodiversity conservation.
Resource flows
25. In connection with paragraph 24 above, there remains a need for
clearer understanding of resource flows to and from mountain areas,
that will lead to increased income for mountain communities and a
fairer distribution of earnings from natural resources exploitation
and services provided in mountain areas. Increased attention is
already being paid to that important issue, as evidenced by the
electronic conference hosted by the Mountain Forum in 1996, on the
theme "Paying for mountains: innovative mechanisms and promising
examples for financing conservation and sustainable development". The
increased attention being paid to that issue, especially as certain
mountain resources, such as water, become more scarce and acquire
greater economic value, is expected to result in more studies
undertaken to improve understanding of the overall flow of resources
and services.
Status of women and children
26. The need for greater empowerment, equity and equality of mountain
women has been expressed as an important concern throughout the period
of UNCED and chapter 13 follow-up. Those issues are expected to
receive greater attention in terms of policy, legislation and
institutional reform, with growing awareness and recognition of the
role and needs of women related to mountain development. A recent
publication by UNICEF, Children, Women and Poverty in Mountain
Ecosystems, 2/ produced in collaboration with UNU and IMS, is already
drawing attention to the basic causes of poverty in mountain areas and
the need for policy revisions.
Cultural integrity and biological diversity
27. There is growing recognition of mountain areas as valuable sites
for preserving cultural integrity and conserving biological diversity,
which has come about through increased awareness of specific mountain
cultures and their important role in maintaining mountain ecosystems,
as well as greater recognition of the endemism of plant and animal
species in mountain areas. More concerted action is needed to address
those increasingly important areas of concern.
Monitoring progress
28. As the mountain agenda moves forward and mountain development and
conservation efforts grow, it will be necessary to be able to gauge
progress and the extent to which it is sustainable. An enhanced
ability to carry out assessment and monitoring of mountain development
and conservation activities will be required. The development of a
set of criteria and indicators for sustainable mountain development
has been under way since late 1995. That work is currently being
refined with the aim of providing a practical tool for use at the
national or subnational level.
Exchange of experience and information collection and dissemination
29. More direct exchange of experience and information, both among
mountain people themselves and among other resource management
practitioners working in mountain areas, is needed. Exchange visits
between groups of farmers from neighbouring upland communities have
proved to be among the most effective means of stimulating new ideas
and transferring knowledge in many mountain conservation and
development projects throughout the world in recent years. The
networks that have been created over the past few years, especially
through the activities of the Mountain Forum and regional
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations consultations,
should be fully exploited to stimulate and enhance that type of direct
exchange at all levels. There is also a need for greater
accessibility of existing information to end-users, both at policy and
operational levels. In fact, knowledge and information dissemination
was identified at a 1996 European intergovernmental consultation on
chapter 13 as a priority area to be addressed. Some key issues raised
include the needs to standardize data and data collection; ensure
greater accessibility of scientific data to decision makers; improve
inter-ministerial communication on mountain issues; and ensure more
interdisciplinary and applied research on mountains.
Food security
30. As highlighted at the World Food Summit held by FAO in Rome in
November 1996, the issue of food security has become a top priority
for the global community. Accordingly, efforts to eradicate hunger
and malnutrition are expected to receive greater attention under
chapter 13, along with the overall objective of poverty alleviation in
mountain regions. New initiatives in that area should focus
specifically on strategies to enhance food security in a sustainable
manner, inter alia, through the sustainable flow of water resources
and their efficient use for agricultural and other production systems.
Mountain forests
31. Since new interest and attention is being devoted to the forest
policy debate, especially since the establishment by the Commission of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, new opportunities are
available to further discuss the important role played by forests in
mountain areas with respect to such issues as hazard prevention,
biodiversity conservation and livelihood opportunities. New
institutions and forums, including the European Observatory on
Mountain Forests and the IUFRO Task Force on Forests and Mountain
Development, have recently been established to focus specifically on
such issues. FAO is also giving greater recognition to the importance
of forests in mountain regions, and is currently in the process of
preparing a publication on the management of mountain forests.
Notes
1/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution
1, annex II.
2/ New York, 1996.
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Date last posted: 10 December 1999 17:25:35
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