The UIAA Mountain Protection Award for Stewardships

Mountains make up nearly a quarter of all land area on Earth and are home to 12 percent of the world’s human population. They are rich in biodiversity and contain a wide variety of habitats. Mountain ecosystems are highly dynamic, yet people living in mountain areas can be exposed to a variety of environmental and non-environmental stress factors. Poorly planned and implemented tourist activities can have a serious impact on both mountain communities and their environment.  Mountaineers and climbers have a responsibility to protect mountains.
 

Simple, Effective, Global, Results-Oriented and Credible

The Mountain Protection Award aims to promote and to ultimately reward best practices in mountain tourism in ways that offer long-term benefits not only to the global mountain tourism industry, but also development sustainability to local mountain people and their environment-particularly in developing countries.
 

Designed in conjunction with mountain experts, it will be a recognition awarded to guides, tour operators, and mountain recreation organizations that have committed themselves to uphold internationally recognized mountain protection standards and guidelines and who demonstrate what practical measures they will take to protect the natural and cultural resources of mountain regions in which they live and work.

An independent Assessment Team (UIAA Mountain protection Commission and external internationally recognized experts) will review the Stewardship plans. Applicants recognized will become Mountain Protectors and will be promoted on an open-market platform.
 

Credibility is ensured by posting their mandatory annual reports on the Mountain Protection website, maintaining a blacklist database, and carefully-monitoring posted feedback information from clients.

Increase your Success while Protecting our Mountain World
Here are some of the benefits for the future Mountain Protectors:

§ Personalized space on our website to promote your activities;

§ Promotion through other UIAA web channels;

§ Use of UIAA logo under specific conditions;

§ Collaboration in developing and promoting new "best practices" in mountain protection around the world.

Want to be UIAA recognized? Visit our page, mountainprotection.theuiaa.org  or contact us (mountainprotection@theuiaa.org), should you have questions.