Mountains are an important source of water, energy and biological diversity.
Furthermore, they are a source of such key resources as minerals, forest products and agricultural products and of recreation. As a major ecosystem representing the complex and interrelated ecology of our planet, mountain environments are essential to the survival of the global ecosystem. Access to education, decision-making, financial resources, and tenure rights are severely limited. External pressures force mountain communities to over-exploit their resource base for survival. Traditional economies suffer from unfavorable terms of trade.