UNEP, together with the Government of Peru and others, is organising a high-level side event at the COP21 climate talks in Paris to discuss regional cooperation on mountains and climate change adaptation.

Several regional outlooks on climate change and adaptation developed by UNEP and partners are among the publications to be presented at the event, which takes place on International Mountain Day, 11 December, and will be attended by numerous ministers.

Mountain environments provide essential services - such as capturing water for the needs of over half of the world’s population and allowing for irrigation and energy production. Yet climate change threatens these services, meaning adaptation measures urgently need to be implemented in mountain environments.

So as to strengthen action towards climate change adaptation in mountain regions, the event will bring together the Peruvian Minister of Environment H.E. Mr. Manuel Gerardo Pedro Pulgar-Vidal Otálora, his counterparts from Austria and Bhutan H.E. Mr. Andrä Rupprechter and H.E. Mr. Lyonpo Yeshey Dorji respectively, as well as the Serbian State Secretary for the Environment H.E. Ms. Stana Božović, among others.

The leaders from mountain countries are expected to strengthen their commitment to adaptation as well as to boosting regional and inter-regional collaboration in coordinating and sharing experiences from policy actions.

Several publications related to climate change among mountains will furthermore be launched and followed by a panel discussion.

The event will feature the release of the Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas produced by ICIMOD, GRID-Arendal and CICERO, as well as several regional outlooks on climate change and adaptation developed by UNEP, GRID-Arendal and regional mountain centres of excellence under UNEP-led project funded by the Government of Austria.

The regional outlooks assess the key risks to climate change and existing policies to determine policy and institutional gaps, as well as provide concrete recommendations for the future action.

For more information please contact matthias.jurek@unvienna.org