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by Andy Macpherson
 2002 is International Year of Mountains. This initiative has support from over 130 countries and the number is growing. In Scotland, a partnership of voluntary organisations including the MCofS, with support from Scottish Natural Heritage and the University of the Highlands and Islands, have recently appointed a project officer, Andy Macpherson, to promote and co-ordinate a series of events through the year. Here Andy gives some background to IYM.
2002 has been designated "International Year of Mountains" by the General Assembly of the United Nations, with the mission statement of "promoting the conservation and sustainable development of mountain regions, thereby ensuring the well-being of mountain and lowland communities." The UN stipulates that the subject should be one of priority concern to all or the majority of countries, that it should involve action at all levels, that it should contribute to the development of international co-operation and world peace, and that it should generate significant follow-up action in the longer term.
The broad aims of International Year of Mountains are:
- to ensure the present and future well-being of mountain communities by promoting conservation and sustainable development in mountain areas;
- to increase awareness of, and knowledge on, mountain ecosystems, their dynamics and functioning, and their overriding importance in providing a number of strategic goods and services essential to the well-being of both rural and urban, highland and lowland people, particularly water supply and food security;
- to promote and defend the cultural heritage of mountain communities and societies;
- to pay attention to frequent conflicts in mountain areas and to promote peace-making in those regions.
A key theme of IYM is that "we are all mountain people" – regardless of whether we live, work or spend our free time in the mountains, we are all dependent upon them, in much the same way as we are upon oceans and rainforests. The objectives also encompass benefit to lowland communities in recognition of the interdependence between mountains and lowlands. Globally, mountain areas constitute nearly a quarter of the world's land surface. Water, energy, minerals, timber and agricultural produce are among the mountain "products".
In Scotland, mountain areas account for about 70% of the land, and the 'foot and mouth' crisis served to highlight as never before the social and economic importance of our mountains. Scotland is promoted as a "clean and green" tourism destination, yet in common with many of the world's mountain regions, the Scottish hills suffer: from erosion, acidification, overgrazing, and declining biodiversity in addition to social issues.
South of the border, there is no partnership approach as in Scotland, although some key mountain areas, e.g. Cumbria, have their own IYM projects. The BMC contributes to the Scottish IYM initiative, and currently appears set to lead on IYM England and Wales.
As a reader of this website, you are probably more aware than most of the importance of mountains as a recreational resource and the need for their sensitive management. The chances are that you are a member of MCofS, and "giving something back" to the mountains may well be one of the reasons that you pay your subscription.
One of the main means for taking forward IYM in Scotland is awareness raising - not only amongst mountain sports people, but also among land managers, policy-makers, the tourism industry and the general public. The full programme is on the IYM Scotland website, www.iym.org.uk which is updated regularly, but some examples include:
Guided walks and walking festivals, Talks and lectures, Concerts and exhibitions, Film festivals, Practical conservation work – footpaths, tree planting, Publications, The 3rd European Mountain Convention, Inverness (May), International "People and Nature" conference, Pitlochry (November).
Whilst some of the issues are serious, the intention is that IYM will be an enjoyable celebration. It will also be a stock take of what has or has not been achieved since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. It is also important that the year should lead to long-term action and not simply end on 31 December 2002. At the UK level, the government shows little sign of interest in sustainable management of mountain areas, but we hope to see mountains more firmly on the agenda of the Scottish Parliament.
In addition to marking the tenth anniversary of the Earth Summit, 2002 will see several major milestones associated with mountains in Scotland – the launch of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, the build-up to the launch of the Cairngorms National Park, the opening of the Cairn Gorm funicular and access legislation. None of these projects have been without controversy, yet they all illustrate the complexity and challenge in balancing the needs of differing land use interests. Next year sees the "Rio plus ten" summit in Johannesburg to assess what progress has been made. IYM will demonstrate that "Thinking globally and acting locally" remains at least as cogent today as it did ten years ago.
If you are interested in finding out more about International Year of Mountains, or if you want to participate or comment, please feel free to contact me; I am also available for talks to clubs and other organisations. I hope that we can all play a part in promoting sustainable development in our "own" mountains and those of the rest of the world.
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