IUCN-WCPA Mountain PA Network

Shelter and food are still desperately needed by thousands of people living in the high mountain regions of northern Pakistan. But starvation and exposure are only part of the dangers they face during and after the relief effort.

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Learn more about these issues in the following documents forwarded by Mountains Network Member Ms. Nikhat Sattar, Head of Emerging and Emergency Programmes of the Strategic Planning Team of IUCN Asia Programme in Karachi. These documents give graphic details on the extent of the damage to this area, and the need for continued recovery support in this region:
Earthquake Aftermath in Northern Pakistan
[downloadable version (531k .doc)]

Preliminary Environmental Assessment of the
Earthquake in Pakistan: IUCN Field Mission Report
[downloadable version (320k .pdf)]

The decision to remove cattle grazing from the Victorian Alpine National Park will directly contribute to the conservation of its natural heritage.

Mountain PA Network members Graeme Worboys (front), Trevor Sandwith (far left), and David Harmon (back row, third from right) were at the April meeting in Switzerland as part of the WCPA Steering Committee.

The snow-capped volcano Chimborazo (6310m) is one of the highest peaks in Ecuador, and a prime destination for recreation. Wildlife Researcher and Mountain PA Network member Shaenandhoa Garcia-Rangel (right) and her colleagues are keeping us informed about preparations for the Connectivity Conservation Management Workshop to be held in Quito, Ecuador in 2006. Read the May 2005 Workshop Newsletter Update

John Muir, his legacy of protecting Yosemite, and his role in establishing environmental consciousness around the world have been given special tribute on the new California quarter dollar coin issued in 2005.

Larry Hamilton proudly displays the impressive Gold Medal he received with the award.

Left to Right; David Sheppard, Director Programme on Protected Areas, IUCN; Bill Jackson, Director, Global Programme; Larry Hamilton, Awardee of the King Albert Memorial Foundation; Achim Steiner, IUCN Director General.

Larry Hamilton received thanks for his lifelong commitment to mountain conservation from Achim Steiner, Director General of the IUCN.

Above: Professor Lawrence Hamilton accepts his award on September 11, 2004 at the medieval Church of Santa Maria in Pontresina, Switzerland.

Mountain PA News

THE DANGER FROM PAKISTAN'S EARTHQUAKE IS NOT OVER

The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and CARE International warn against further risks from environmental hazards in Northern Pakistan.

The worst earthquake in Pakistan's history has killed an estimated 58,000 people, wounded another 77,000 and spread devastation over nearly 30,000 square kilometers, as well as leaving at least 3.5 million people homeless. Rescue and reconstruction efforts have been seriously complicated by the quake's destruction of communications networks and roads.

The World Conservation Union, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and CARE International warn now that many more people may die unless the aid organizations pay attention to the environmental hazards resulting from the quake. The imminent onset of brutal winter conditions makes getting shelter and supplies to isolated quake victims at high altitudes an urgent priority, but in the rush to beat the winter deadline, it is important not to forget the ongoing dangers resulting from the quake. These include Aftershocks, Landslides, Disease, Debris, and Deforestation.

Among the many groups that mobilized to send relief, The American Alpine Club (AAC) and international freight-forwarder DHL combined efforts to help victims in the most remote mountain areas affected. AAC members organized a campaign to collect and expedite over 12 tons of warm clothing, boots, tents, and sleeping bags to this region. In addition, over $30,000US was raised from members to provide needed medicines and other supplies for the earthquake victims. These items were delivered via DHL services and distributed by AAC members who live and work in that region such as Greg Mortenson of the Central Asia Foundation.

This site provides updates on this effort and ways you can help: http://www.ikat.org/Earthquake_update.html

Australia's Victorian Government makes an outstanding and historical decision: Cattle grazing no longer allowed in Victorian Alpine National Park

Graeme Worboys forwarded information at the end of May 2005 about the outstanding and historical decision announced by Australia's Department of Sustainability and Environment (DES) to ban cattle grazing from The Alpine National Park, Victoria's largest national park. This action will protect one of Victoria's most important natural sites and water catchment areas, which contains several species of vegetation not found anywhere else in the world. It is presumed that his ban might help the Alpine National Park eventually gain World Heritage status from UNESCO.

Graeme lauded government officials for this decision in a letter sent to Mr John Thwaites, Deputy Premier Minister of Sustainability and Environment. In it, he stated that "It is a decision which will have intergenerational benefits, and will directly benefit biodiversity conservation and catchment stability." Full details on the extent and background of this commendable decision can be found on the Australian DES website.

Mountain PA Network Members Chosen for WCPA Steering Committee Attend Planning Session at IUCN Headquarters

The newly-elected WCPA Steering Committee gathered at the IUCN Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland in late April 2005 to devise ten-year plans for the Commission's strategic direction and actions. Three members of our Mountain PA Network now serve on the Steering Committee:

Graeme Worboys of the Canberra area of Australia now serves as the Vice-Chair of the Mountains Theme. After working for over 30 years with the Australian National Parks system, Graeme is now pursuing a doctorate degree focusing on Protected Area Management Effectiveness Evaluation Requirements.

Trevor Sandwith of Cape Town, South Africa has been chosen to serve as Deputy Chair for WCPA. Trevor is also Project Coordinator for Cape Action for People and the Environment in South Africa. Trevor eloquently proclaimed our Didima Declaration from the top of Sentinel in the Drakensberg region of South Africa in September 2003 before the World Parks Congress.

David Harmon is the new WCPA Regional Vice Chair for North America. Dave is also Executive Director of the George Wright Society, based in Hancock, Michigan (USA). Dave and Graeme co-edited one of the new books (Managing Mountain Protected Areas: Challenges and Responses for the 21st Century) produced by our Network members as outputs from the 3rd World Parks Congress in South Africa in 2003.

Newsletter Provides Updates on Connectivity Conservation Management Workshop

Mountain PA Network members Shaenandhoa Garcia-Rangel and Jennifer Grant have created a wonderful Newsletter which will provide progress updates for the Connectivity Conservation Management Workshop (CC2006) to be held in Ecuador in 2006. One of the outputs from this conference will be development of a Connectivity Conservation Management Book focused on the "Lessons Learned" by practitioners. Shaenandhoa is a Ph. D. candidate at the Wildlife Research Group, University of Cambridge (England), and Jennifer is her wildlife colleague at the University of Calgary (Canada). The workshop's Newsletter is designed to keep conference participants and other interested individuals updated on the progress underway for this important event: Newsletter update

Mountain Conservation Icon John Muir Honoured on New US Coin

A key figure in mountain conservation history has returned to grace one of the newest coins in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. On January 31, 2005 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver, and Mint Director Henrietta Fore officially launched distribution of the new California Commemorative Quarter-Dollar at the California State History Museum in Sacramento.

The new coin prominently depicts mountaineer/environmentalist John Muir, his trekking pole firmly in hand, approaching the north face of Half Dome and admiring a California condor soaring upward. The coin is emblazoned with words in tribute to the historic importance in mountain conservation: "California," "John Muir," and "Yosemite Valley".

"Muir lit the torch of conservation in our state, and has inspired generations of Californians to preserve our natural beauty", said Governor Schwarzenegger. "The California quarter honors California's varied and profound natural beauty and John Muir, whose appreciation for the State's dramatic landscape became his lifelong work and passion," said Mint Director Fore. "He (Muir) would be really proud," said John Hanna (82 yrs), one of Muir's surviving grandsons.

Clearly recognizing the mass appeal of Yosemite, the US government wisely decided to mint more than 2 billion of the new quarters. The beautiful, uncirculated Quarter-Dollars can be obtained online from the Yosemite Association: http://www.yosemitestore.com/merchant/index.html
or the United States Mint: www.usmint.gov

--from Linda McMillan, California

Larry Hamilton Honoured for His Lifetime
Commitment to Mountain Conservation

On September 16, 2004 one of the champions of our Mountain PA Network, Larry Hamilton, received the gold King Albert I Mountain Award for his outstanding contribution to the worldwide conservation of mountain areas.

"The Swiss-based King Albert I Memorial Foundation honoured Lawrence Hamilton for his lifelong support for creating and managing mountain protected areas and for setting up a world wide network of scientists and mountain conservationists. The Foundation honours the Belgian King Albert I, who died in 1934 while mountain climbing.

As leader of the Mountain Biome Theme of IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas, he has inspired the vision for establishing corridors of mountain protected areas passing through whole continents, transboundary peace parks, cloud forests conservation and best practice protected areas management. Recently, the University of Hawai'i also honoured Lawrence Hamilton with a medal and distinguished scientist award for his work for Tropical Mountain Cloud Forests, calling him the "Father of Cloud Forests".

For 19 years, Larry Hamilton worked voluntarily for the World Commission on Protected Areas. He organized countless conferences and authored or coauthored more than 300 publications in his lifetime.

Being part of a small group of scientists he initiated the placing of mountains on the global agenda at the "Rio" UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.This was followed by the International Year of Mountains in 2002, which helped create greater global awareness for the conservation of mountains. Lawrence "Larry" Hamilton, Emeritus Professor at Cornell University, New York, is an outstanding achiever for the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and its membership."

--from the IUCN website
More news items from IUCN

Accomplished climber and mountain advocate, King Albert I of Belgium: "La Volonte, la Qualite maitresse de l'Homme"