Responding to climate change in the mountains: Opportunities for parliamentarians to act - Issue brief

This brief helps parliamentarians respond effectively by providing them with an understanding of how climate effects in the mountains create downstream repercussions, and by identifying policies and actions they can take across range of potential impacts. Parliamentarians are responsible for representing the mountains in their countries, and their decisions often have long-term impacts on mountainous environments and the people who live there.

Some of the key messages from this brief include:

• With their legislative, budgetary, oversight and representation functions, parliamentarians have key roles to play in accelerating climate action in mountain areas. 
• As climate change disrupts the water cycle in the mountains, both the uplands and the lowlands are experiencing more frequent and severe flooding and periods of water shortages.  Cooperation on water use may be essential to the well-being of water users both upstream and down.
• Preserving mountain biodiversity sustains mountain tourism opportunities, protects cultural heritages and conserves crop wild relatives and other plant resources that may loom large in the development of medicines.