Mountain Protection News

As Nepal and the Khumbu gets ready to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest, a new paper by UIAA Mountain Protection Commission member Rodney Garrard provides a timely snapshot of change, as perceived by locals.

The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission has expressed concern that a proposal by the mayors of two towns near Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, endangers ongoing efforts to designate it as part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission has come out in support of a United Nations resolution which highlights the urgent need to commit to sustainable development in order protect a planet that is under atttack on multiple fronts including climate change and out of control growth.

The paper focuses on the impact of climate change on hundreds of thousands of people, primarily Inca, who live in and near the Huascarán National Park in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca range which as Garrard puts it contains 600 glaciers and an ever-growing number of glacial lakes.

The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission has approved plans for a mountain stewardship award and a mountain protection label for environment friendly UIAA approved projects and products.

The UIAA supports the celebration of 11 December 2011 as International Mountain Day.