Following the success of the 2016 Series, the UIAA invites its international member federations, and partners, to organise their own UIAA Respect the Mountains events.
The UIAA Respect the Mountains Series (RtM) – partnered by KEEN – is designed both as a direct action initiative aimed at cleaning waste from mountain regions and as an educational programme governed by the project’s guiding principles, the 7-Ways to Respect the Mountains.
2017: A global cause
In 2017, the UIAA has the goal of making the Respect the Mountains Series a truly global concept with UIAA member federations on all six continents invited to organise events. The focus is not simply on clearing mountains and outdoor spaces of waste but engaging all mountains users, individually and collectively, to take more responsibility for their actions and in turn become ambassadors for mountain protection. UIAA Respect the Mountains events are a one-day experience which combine hard work, fun, educational activities and an emphasis on social interaction in equal measure.
“Through an emphasis on education in this year’s series, we hope to give impetus and importance to the need for positive behaviour change as one of many long term strategies to reduce the impact of waste in mountains,” explains the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission President Dr Carolina Adler. “The issue of waste and pollution in mountain regions is not only a chronic problem, but it also manifests itself in different ways throughout the world. There are diverse geographical as well as cultural contexts that we need to account for when dealing with waste in mountains. What works in one region or cultural context may not necessarily work in another in the same way, and we need to learn from these experiences and come up with diverse ‘fit-for-purpose’ means that are appropriate for each context. This is also another reason for us to expand the scope of the RtM series internationally, so that we can learn from, and help address, the chronic waste issue in these other places too.” For full details on how to apply to organize an event, UIAA member federations are invited to download the following document – UIAA Respect the Mountains Application Guidelines
2016: An immense effort
The 2016 UIAA Respect the Mountains Series, the first organised by the UIAA, was held from May-September and comprised nine events in eight European countries, many involving the direct support of UIAA member federations. Waste clean-up operations took place in a diverse panorama of European tourist destinations, from sun-baked Tenerife to Romania’s wild Carpathian Mountains; from the imperious Mount Kazbek to the popular, world-renowned resorts of the French Alps. Over 600 volunteers, many families, united to walk over 3,300 kilometres in clearing five tonnes of waste from European slopes. For further details on the 2016 series please click here.
Seven Ways to Respect the Mountains
The UIAA and its partners will focus the communication of the 2017 season around the projects guiding principles, the 7-ways to Respect the Mountains, where each event will have a dedicated focus. For more details about the 7-Ways to Respect the Mountains please visit our dedicated page.
How to Organise a UIAA Respect the Mountains Event
For further details on how to apply to organise a Respect the Mountains event in your country/region, please download and read the following guidelines:
UIAA Respect the Mountains Application Guidelines
Contact Details:
For specific questions about the 2017 UIAA Respect the Mountains Series please contact:
mountainprotection@theuiaa.org
Partners
