International Mountain Day is celebrated on 11 December. It is a UN observance day that was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003.
International Mountain Day
Mountains are home to 15% of the world´s population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots. They provide fresh water for everyday life to half of humanity. Their conservation is a key factor for sustainable development and is part of Goal 15 of the SDGs.
The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN to declare 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for the first time the following year, 2003.
International Mountain Day Theme
The theme of this year's International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December will be sustainable mountain tourism.
Last year, International Mountain Day 2020’s theme was to protect mountain biodiversity.
The theme of 2019 was “Mountains Matter for Youth.”
International Mountain Day gives us an opportunity to spread awareness about protecting the mountain biodiversity as these delicate ecosystems are under tremendous pressure from climate change, overexploitation, and pollution.