Covering about 27 percent of the earth, mountains play a crucial role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth.

The International Mountain Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on December 11, 2003 and highlighted the need for continued awareness of the importance of mountains.

Mountains provide sustenance and well-being for 720 million mountain people around the world. Also, indirectly, billions more living in urban areas benefit.

Practically, mountains bring clean water, energy and food.

However, mountains also have high rates of poverty, and are extremely vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, land degradation and natural disasters.

The challenge remains to identify new and appropriate opportunities that can benefit mountain and lowland communities and that can eradicate poverty without contributing to the degradation of fragile mountain ecosystems.

In Kosovo, the destruction of mountains continues, where wood is used as fuel and a source of personal benefits.