RT Report
T1 Mountains in Motion: Global Linkages from Ridge to River
A1 United Nations Environment Programme, 
A2 Fouinat, Laurent
A2 Gerasymenko, Nataliia
A2 Eikeland, Paige Hellbaum
A2 Martinez-Swatson, Karen
A2 Rucevska, Ieva
A2 Schoolmeester, Tina
A2 Sinisalo, Anna
A2 Skripnikova, Natalia
A2 Svendsen, Helene
A2 Fylakis, Georgios
A2 Abbas, Hasan
A2 Beilstein, Matthias
A2 Bigengimana, Yvonne
A2 Pisa, Paola Fontanella
A2 Jackson, Miriam
A2 Mahapatra, Parth Sarathi
A2 Quenta, Estefanía
A2 Taber, Andrew
A2 Fellendorf, Ansgar
A2 Ayab, Idris Yusuf
A2 Azodi, Mehrnoosh
A2 Daniels, Charlotte
A2 Kilponen, Anna
A2 Hofman, Maarten
A2 Jurek, Matthias
A2 Nyirenda, Chawanangwa
A2 Schmoeker, Genevieve
A2 Troni, Jessica
SN 978-92-807-4275-6
YR 2026
FD 2026-03
LK https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/49344
UL https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/49344
NO Mountain ecosystems are critical intersections in global systems, linked to planetary health and human well-being far beyond their ridges. They function as water towers, supplying freshwater for downstream agriculture, energy, and urban centres, thereby inextricably linking ecosystem health to food, energy, and economic security. This publication sheds a light on the interconnection of challenges to better understand the cascading effects of a changing climate and environmental conditions. Human driven global warming causes rapid cryosphere decline and accelerates biodiversity loss by forcing some species to move to higher altitudes. Simultaneously, pollution, from long-range atmospheric deposition to local tourism waste, exacerbates ecosystem stress and may accelerate snow and ice melt. Links between the triple planetary crisis in mountain regions and the rest of the planet are identified, moving beyond a siloed analysis. The publication leverages recent data from top-tier peer-reviewed journals, public databases and Rio convention reports, to quantify the “ridge-to-river” cascade of impacts, building a compelling case for action. It provides a decision-making tool for translating science into policy-ready options, responding to future scenario modelling and mountain-specific indicators. Identified solutions recognize the key role of women, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and youth in shaping sustainable mountain futures. This report is structured to guide the reader from understanding the challenges to identifying solutions. It begins by describing climate change impacts and trends in mountain regions, then analyses present and future challenges for biodiversity, describes the human-made pressures of pollution and land degradation, and examines international environmental governance in specific mountain regions. Throughout the report, mapbased case studies illustrate the linkages between mountain regions and lowlands, supported by data that help to better grasp the challenges and solutions identified.
DS UN Environment Document Repository
RD Sep 17, 2026