“Climate Change Threatens Mountain Landscapes and Human Activity: Study Reveals Increased Risks Ahead”
Research conducted by the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, has revealed the alarming impact of climate change on mountain landscapes and human activities. The study, recently published in the journal PeerJ, highlights the increased risks of avalanches, river floods, landslides, debris flows, and lake outburst floods as a result of climate change.
Professor Jasper Knight, from Wits University’s School of Geography, Archaeology, and Environmental Studies, emphasizes the sensitivity of mountains to global climate change. He explains that mountain glaciers are retreating due to global warming, leading to significant impacts on mountain landforms, ecosystems, and communities. However, the response of mountains to climate change varies greatly depending on factors such as the presence of snow and ice.
Mountains with snow and ice behave differently from low-latitude mountains without snow and ice, affecting how they respond to climate change and the future evolution of mountain landscapes. The study warns that mountain snow and ice, which provide water for millions of people worldwide, are at risk due to shifting weather patterns and shrinking glaciers.
The research also highlights the detrimental influence of climate change on mountain landscapes and human activities. Glacier retreat and permafrost warming exacerbate risks such as avalanches, floods, landslides, and debris flows. Alpine ecosystems and endemic species are facing extinction, while mountain slopes are becoming greener as lowland forests move to higher altitudes.
Furthermore, mountain communities and cultures are feeling the impact of climate change, with traditional practices like transhumance and agriculture becoming increasingly challenging due to shrinking grazing areas and water scarcity. Tourism, mining, urbanization, and commercial forestry are also threatening traditional mountain practices and indigenous knowledge.
The study underscores the importance of considering and protecting mountains as integrated biophysical and socioecological systems, where both physical landscapes and human communities play a crucial role. By understanding these connections, researchers believe that these environments can be better safeguarded against the adverse effects of climate change.
Professor Knight concludes by emphasizing the vulnerability of African mountains to climate change and the need to protect these environments and communities from the worst impacts of global warming. The research serves as a stark warning of the urgent need to address climate change and its consequences on mountain landscapes and human activities.
The study, titled “Scientists’ warning of the impacts of climate change on mountains,” was published on October 24, 2022, in PeerJ. (DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14253)