Mountains are home of the 15% of the world´s population and a quarter of the world’s land animals and plants. Mountains cover 27% of the Earth’s land surface and ix of the 20 most important food crops originate in mountains.
More than a half of humanity relies on mountain freshwater for everyday lifeThey provide freshwater for everyday life to half of humanity. Their conservation is a key factor for sustainable development and is part of Goal 15 of the SDGs.

Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change and overexploitation. As the global climate continues to warm, mountain people — some of the world’s poorest — face even greater struggles to survive. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people.

This problem affects us all. We must reduce our carbon footprint and take care of these natural treasures. Here in Fernie our mountains are under threat from tourism, mining and forestry we need to work together to reduce impact.