Mountains cover 27% of the world surface, provide 60 to 80% of all freshwater resources for our planet and are biodiversity hotspots. These unique and complex environments host of nearly 1 billion people globally and are currently under pressure by the changes taking place at the global level. There is a need to promote new sustainable development models able to protect these unique and fragile environments while at the same time promoting innovative processes in order to guarantee the livelihood of local communities.
How can we raise young people’s awareness of what mountains can offer from an environmental point of view as well as in terms of sustainable social and economic opportunities? How can we develop an educational model for and about mountains, capable of empowering local communities? How to promote the valorisation of mountain cultural and natural heritage?
With these questions in mind, UNIMONT – detachment of the University of Milan entirely dedicated to the development of mountain areas and located in a small municipality in the heart of the Alps – promotes the event “Connecting Youth and Mountains, Creating a Lively Future” which will take place on the 8th of October at Expo 2020 Dubai:
Last event of the Youth4Mountains Series (involving youth from 16 to 29 years): an open consultation to create the Mountain Education and Innovation Manifesto (MEIM) for the promotion of a sustainable and lively future in mountain areas
“Connecting Youth and Mountains, Creating a Lively Future”: the event will contribute to raise awareness on the role of education for the future of mountain areas, with the direct and proactive involvement of young people who live and work in the mountains who shaped the Mountain Education and Innovation Manifesto to promote a sustainable and lively future in mountain areas.