Importance of Mountains for People and Planet Discussed at the Russian Geographical Society

On 12 December, a meeting dedicated to the International Mountain Day was held at the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) in Moscow. The experts discussed the issues of creation and transformation of cultural  mountain landscapes, preservation of biodiversity of mountain ecosystem and also support of the inhabitants of these territories.

The meeting brought together leading scientific experts from different regions of Russia.

Chairman of the RGS Commission on Tourism Development, Honorary President of the RGS, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Kotlyakov delivered a welcoming speech. He noted special importance of the event as part of support of the mountain regions of Russia.

The year 2022 was declared by the UN as the Year of Sustainable Mountain Development under the slogan “Mountains Matter: for People and the Planet”.

Secretary of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Agrarian Policy, Natural Resources and Ecology Natalia Amburtseva took part in the event on behalf of the Secretariat of the Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. She presented the concept of the international forum “Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories” to be held in November 2023 at the headquarters of the Assembly.

Natalia Amburtseva said that as part of the business program of the forum, the experience of addressing the challenges of sustainable mountain development would be analyzed. Experts will consider the issues of anthropogenic transformation and environmental infrastructure, the creation and enhancement of the importance of cultural  mountain landscapes. The specifics of socio-political processes in mountainous territories and prospects for the development of mountain tourism clusters will also be discussed.