There is also a growing number of successful examples of reversing these trends and greater efforts are needed to promote dialogue and share these positive experiences across the region. In spite of the enormous amount of indigenous knowledge in the mountains, education and health delivery systems are very poor, particularly in the context of women and children. Furthermore, mechanisms to impart the basic skills needed in modern development activities are lacking and urgent changes are needed to provide the mountain population with the skills needed to equip them for the future. Development policies and programmes have consistently failed to give careful attention to mountain areas. Even when attention has been given, approaches have been inappropriately organized and managed, resulting in many adverse impacts - particularly on the environment.
Marginality is also evident in the influence of non-local factors in the use of mountain resources.
Today, international markets determine how local resources are used in many mountain areas. With weak institutions and inadequate skill development in mountain areas, there is a great danger that this will continue in future. The sporadic bursts of attention given to mountain areas have generally been a post-disaster phenomenon. Systematic attention to these problems is a very recent phenomenon, and it is extremely limited in extent and coverage. There are large gaps in understanding issues specific to mountain environments.