Climate change and land degradation are among the threats to mountain areas. The FAO emphasizes that by not investing in their development, we contribute to the disruption of mountain ecosystems and deprive their inhabitants of the means of livelihood. Moreover, future generations will suffer the most from the destructive consequences of human activity.

First of all, the FAO believes, it is necessary to explain the role of mountains in providing the inhabitants of the planet with water, food and clean energy. For a long time, people have longed for the mountains to admire their beauty and the surrounding landscape, and, feeling their endurance, climb the mountain peaks. True, here too, a person "cuts down the branch on which he sits": the UN notes with alarm that mountain slopes are increasingly turning into landfills. Climbers and tourists leave mountains of garbage there, construction and the mining industry make their "contribution".

The UN calls for providing youth living in the mountains with the opportunity to study and find work. FAO notes that young people leave their villages without a chance to get a full-fledged education and find a job. But if you give them the opportunity to learn, equip them with modern technologies, provide access to markets, the situation can be changed.

The UN calls on even young people to draw attention to how important a role mountains play in the life of mankind.