The African continent is made up of 11% of the world’s mountains, half of which are higher than 2000m. These mountains comprise 20% of Africa’s total land surface and provide life-supporting goods and services to over 250 million people at the local, national, and regional levels and constitute important pillars for countries to reach Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For the last 10 years, as Member of the Mountain Partnership, the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) has been engaging different stakeholders involved in sustainable mountain development in Africa. As part of its Nature-Based Community Development Programme, ARCOS supports on ground actions directly to over 890 Community Groups as Nature-Based Community Enterprises (NBCEs)in the region whose 85% are mountain communities. Through networking, ARCOS engages NBCEs in Africa with the aim to empower mountain communities in their efforts to promote their livelihoods, increase resilience to climate change and sustainable mountain development. Into the bargain, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat and GRID-Arendal, ARCOS compiled the Adaptation Solution Booklet (titled Mountain Adapt East Africa). The booklet provides hands-on examples of inclusive approaches such as Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as well as giving advice on how similar solutions can be implemented elsewhere.
In collaboration with the Government of Rwanda, ARCOS, Canada’s Climate Action in Africa Project, EAC and other partners, are organizing the Africa Mountains Community-to-Community Exchange 2022, to celebrate the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development. This event will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, during the week commencing on the International Mountain Day on the 11th December and run up to the 16th December 2022.
