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The Global Mountain Agenda (Agenda 21, Chapter
13) comprises of two programme areas:
• Generating and strengthening knowledge of the
ecology and sustainable development of mountain
ecosystems; and
• Promoting integrated watershed development and
alternative livelihood opportunities.
Making the Case for an East African mountain agenda
The two areas are often addressed together under
the framework of an integrated ecosystems approach
to sustainable mountain development (Sène and
MacGuire, 1997). A review of progress made in
the implementation of the Agenda indicated that,
over the 20 years of implementation, significant
achievements have been made. This progress forms
an important basis upon which an Agenda for East
Africa can be developed and executed.
Within the framework of the Mountain Agenda,
global implementation efforts have focused on the
following specific objectives:
• Raising awareness of, and improving understanding
of, sustainable mountain development issues from
global to national levels;
• Protecting natural resources and developing
technical and institutional arrangements for
natural disaster reduction;
• Strengthening
information
networks
and
databases for organizations, governments and
individuals concerned with mountain issues;
• Strengthening countries’ capacity to improve
planning, implementation and monitoring of
sustainable mountain development programmes
and activities;
• Combating poverty through the promotion
of sustainable income-generation activities,
particularly among local communities and
indigenous people; and
• Formulating and negotiating regional or
subregional mountain conventions; and the
possibility of developing a global mountain charter.
Following the review of progress towards the
implementation of the Mountain Agenda in East
Africa, new priority and focus areas emerge; these
require urgent action to further enhance the objectives
of the Mountain Agenda. Proposals for these emerging
priority areas for action are based on gaps and overlaps
identified in the review of policies and institutional
frameworks, and programmes and projects
implemented in the mountain areas of the subregion.
African fish eagle, Kenya