World Observes Mountain Day

International Mountain Day 2017 was observed globally on Monday under the theme of "Mountains Under Pressure: Climate, Hunger, Migration".

This years' world day provides an occasion to highlight how climate, hunger and migration are affecting highlands and ensure that sustainable mountain development is integrated into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the implementation of Paris Climate Agreement, Fao.org reported.

The theme is also linked to the ongoing Mountain Partnership Global Meeting at FAO headquarters in Rome, which is focused on the challenges and opportunities in sustainable mountain development and geared toward launching a Framework for Action to support concrete actions and establish policies that strengthen the resilience of mountain peoples and environments.

The UN General Assembly declared 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. On this occasion, the assembly designated December 11, from 2003 onwards, as International Mountain Day.

Since then, it has been observed every year to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world.

In Iran, the University of Tehran's Environmental Science Students Association organized the conference "International Mountain Day in Iran: Mountains and Negative Impacts of Climate Change," on Monday at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Karaj.

Speakers from the government and NGOs discussed mountain ecosystems, climate change and biodiversity, among other issues. The association had chosen the Lorestan mountain newt as the symbol of IMD 2016 to raise awareness about the critically endangered amphibian.