MOUNTAIN ADAPTATION OUTLOOK SERIES

in different mountain communities in order to

develop strategies for ensuring sustainable highland-

lowland interactions. This may be facilitated through

the following actions:

• Carrying out an assessment of existing highland-

lowland interactions and determining the type

and magnitude of these interactions;

• Documenting, publicizing and conducting

consultations on how such interactions should be

enhanced; and

• Developing and implementing policies and

strategies for enhancement of interactions that are

important for development and the sustainable

management of mountain resources.

It is worthwhile assessing the socioeconomic benefits

of mountain resource exploitation for mountain

communities and identifying causes of poverty in

mountainous areas. This could be used to develop

policy reforms for empowering vulnerable groups by

increasing their resilience and ability to adapt to the

challenges of mountain environments, including the

impacts of climate change. Possible actions include:

• Undertaking socioeconomic benefit analyses

of resource exploitation and export out of the

mountain areas;

• Identifying the causes of poverty in mountain

communities, particularly in relation to the

exploitation of mountain resources;

• Identifying vulnerable groups among mountain

communities, especially women and children,

in order to develop measures to address their

vulnerabilities; and

• Implementing policy reforms for empowering

vulnerable groups to increase their resilience and

adaptive capacity.

Street market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia