An Advocacy Initiative Mountain regions figure prominently in the fresh water issue. Mountains have higher precipitation than adjacent lowlands. They are rich in water resources, blocking and re-channelling regional cloud masses that shed their moisture to form the headwaters of valuable surface streams. All of the world's largest rivers originate in the mountains.
Mountains provide critical storage of fresh water.
Large quantities of fresh water are stored in mountains as ice and snow, and in lakes, wetlands, and reservoirs. This water is later released, providing critical flows to rivers and streams. Many streams would cease to flow entirely during the dry season if their headwaters did not supply this delayed flow. Such valuable storage of fresh water is vital not only to mountain populations, but also to downstream agriculture, industry and urban users. Mountain fresh water supplies are valuable renewable resources that have multiple functions, including hydropower potential and maintenance of biodiversity.