International Mountain Day 2023: Mark your calendars for December 11, the day when the world unites to celebrate International Mountain Day. This year, this majestic day falls on a Monday, offering us an opportunity to reflect on the importance of mountains in our lives and the delicate ecosystems they harbor. This year's theme, "Restoring Mountain Ecosystems," urges us to recognize and address the crucial need for preserving these natural wonders.
The roots of International Mountain Day trace back to the United Nations' proclamation of the International Year of Mountains on December 11, 2001. This milestone event, launched at the UN headquarters in New York, set the stage for a dedicated focus on sustainable mountain development. In 2002, the International Year of Mountains commenced, with the pivotal goal of raising awareness and instigating action on issues concerning mountains.
On December 20, 2002, the UN officially declared December 11 as International Mountain Day, urging the global community to take decisive steps towards ensuring sustainable mountain development. The inaugural celebration took place on December 11, 2003, and since then, each year has seen a unique theme addressing critical issues like freshwater, peace, biodiversity, and climate change.
Mountains cover about 27% of the Earth's land, and they're home to 15% of the world's people. They're like nature's jewelry box, holding almost half of the world's different plants and animals. Plus, they give us freshwater that almost half of the world uses for farming, energy, and medicine.
Even though mountains are so important, they're facing problems because of climate change. That's why we have International Mountain Day – to remind everyone to do things to keep mountains safe and healthy.
