2006 Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 99-115
Decades of research on mountains have brought a general recognition that mountain ecosystems are extremely fragile and are host to some of the most marginalized people in the world today. Increased understanding of the complexly inter-related factors and processes determining the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems and peoples has highlighted the role of land as a critical link in the fragile balance between man and nature in mountains. This paper presents the results of an integrated and participatory assessment of the scope and causes of land degradation in the Pamir and Alai Mountains in Central Asia and a strategic framework for mainstreaming sustainable land management in the region, which was developed based on multi-level and multi-stakeholder consultations. It illustrates how mountain research can be integrated in development projects so as to help generate tangible improvements in human livelihoods and security and preserve fragile mountain ecosystems.
