Nature conservation

Rock climbing is a continent-wide phenomenon. Any ban on climbing in one country invevitably leads to increased pressure on sites in other countries. Thus, regional if not continent-wide approaches are essential to identify sites where restrictions on climbing may be necessary, and to justify, negotiate, and publicise these restrictions (which are often temporary or seasonal). This report examines the history of climbing and its social and economic significance.

Cooperation at the scale of entire mountain ranges, whether through formal agreements or regional institutions, is widely acknowledged to be desirable. The Caucasus, generally better known for conflict than cooperation, is a major centre of biological, landscape, and cultural diversity.

The Siwalik (Churiya) range is a fragile land system formed from sediments during the raising of the greater and lesser Himalaya. The area is considered one of the world's most important sources of the later tertiary fossils of mammals and provides a basis for much of our current knowledge about the evolution of fauna, especially primates and reptiles. The Siwaliks, ranging east to west, occupy an estimated 13; of Nepal's total land area.

Urban centres in Nepal will continue to grow as the trend to migrate to urban centres from neighbouring rural areas in search for better economic opportunities continues. This trend will have a significant impact on the existing infrastructure facilities and services of the urban centres. Haphazard growth and inadequate services have not only degraded the environmental quality of the urban centres but have made some urban areas uninhabitable.

This report was written as a contribution to Action Theme 10 (mountain ecosystems) of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS). It comprises and introduction to Activity 10.6, on cooperation in mountain ranges, of the PBLDS, followed by a review and assessment of existing mechanisms for inter-governmental cooperation in the Alps.