The world’s mountainous regions are facing considerable changes and challenges due to the disparate effects of globalization. On the one hand, economic progress calls for the introduction of new paradigms to guarantee sustainable social development, while on the other hand, the consequences of climate change call for greater emphasis on diminishing its effects and mitigating the causes underlying it.
CIMAS, the 1st International Congress on Mountains, which will be held in Granada from the 8 to the 10 of March 2018 and will be chaired by King Felipe VI of Spain, aims to promote economic sustainability, ecological diversity, and respect for the environment in mountainous regions.
MedINA will be participating in a Roundtable facilitated by IUCN Med titled “Cultural practices and biodiversity in the Mediterranean Mountains- A necessary alliance”. The session will explore linkages between cultural practices in the Mediterranean mountains and biodiversity, by showcasing the linkages between biodiversity and specific cultural practices, their evolution through time and solutions that benefit both. MedINA will be represented by Alexis Katsaros and will present the case of the Pindos mountain range in Greece.
The roundtable will take place on Thursday 8th March from 9:00-11:00 and will also host presentations by the Yolda Initiative from Turkey, the Global Diversity Foundation on the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the Centro UNESCO Andalucia as part of the University of Granada and the Espacio Natural Sierra Nevada from the Andalucía Municipality.
As a final task, following the presentations and open discussion with the session’s participants, the roundtable will conclude with draft recommendations for the integration of culture and biodiversity with the aim of presenting a final, common statement.
