Mountains cover one fifth of the earth's surface, and supports a tenth of the world's population.
It caters to the freshwater requirements of the lowlands and rivers flowing from the mountains downstream irrigate much of the plains. Mountain people living in tough terrain are an example of the resilience and equilibrium of man with Nature. Their diversity and that of the biota that they have protected, conserved and documented the knowledge of, is an important ecological and economic resource for sustainable development. The Mountain Forum is a network of networks created in 1995 by international collaboration of NGOs, universities, multilateral agencies and the private sector to further the Mountain Agenda following the adoption of the A genda 21, Chapter 13 of the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio. Mountains and valleys preserve a great biodiversity.