A draft of the Declaration was prepared by Prof. Huang Guangyu and given final shape by him and Dr. Pitamber Sharma. Preamble Mountains cover nearly 30 percent of the earth's surface and harbor more than 10 percent of the world's population. As a major ecosystem representing the complex and interrelated ecology of our planet, mountain environments are essential to the survival of the global ecosystem. China's mountainous region covers about two-thirds of the country and include about half of all urban settlements. Mountain regions are the home of diverse minority nationalities and repositories of culture.
Mountain regions are also rich in mineral and forest resources and in biodiversity.
The rivers that originate in the snowclad upper reaches provide not only water for irrigation but also a vast potential of hydro energy. The theme is of particular significance to mountain areas where environmental as well as economic and social implications of the rapid growth of human settlements can be profound. Mountain towns and cities are the centers of administration and social and economic interaction for mountain people. Mountain settlements manifest unique traditions of construction and architecture sensitive to the ecological surroundings. In the context of rapid urbanization, the manner in which the towns and cities are planned, constructed and developed, will determine the quality and sustainability of the environment as well as economic, social and cultural life of mountain people.