LORPEN WEB

The Mountain Alliance

Up to now, 50 countries, 16 intergovernmental organisations and 102 important groups (from civil societies, NGOs and the private sector) belong to this important Alliance.

The Alliance promotes collaborative work, communication and the exchange of information constituting a centre of reference for associates. It covers specific topics such as policies and laws, sustainable livelihood, watershed management, research, gender, education, agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountains (SARD-M) and different geographical areas like the Andes, Central America and the Caribbean, Central Asia, and West Africa, Europe and the Himalayas.

Data to bear in mind

Mountains make up 25% of land surface area and are home to 12% of the world population.
Around 270 million inhabitants of the mountainous regions belonging to developing countries suffer from or are at risk of suffering from hunger.
Mountains are the source of the largest rivers in the world; at least 50% of fresh surface water comes from mountains.
Mountain ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to the effects of global warming and are early indicators of climate change.
Mountains are home to a large part of the most important and threatened biodiversity in the world.

How long does it take for things to degrade?

Sometimes on the mountain we see someone who throws a banana skin on the ground and says it doesn't matter, it's biodegradable. And that's true, it is biodegradable, but besides being a blot on the landscape, perhaps causing someone to slip and fall or harming some animal species that tries to eat it, it can take up to 4 months for it to disappear from our sight.

How long does it take for things to degrade naturally?

Organic waste: 3 weeks to 4 months
Cotton and/or linen clothes or similar: 1 to 5 months
A pair of wool socks: 1 year
A leather shoe: 3 to 5 years
Paper: 3 weeks to 2 months
Cellophane: 1 to 2 years
Cigarette butt: 1 to 2 years
Dish cloth: 2 to 3 months
Wooden stake: 2 to 3 years
Painted wooden stake: 12 to 15 years
Tetra Bick: 30 years

A bottle top: 30 years
Bamboo: 1 to 3 years
Tin can: 10 to 100 years
Aluminium can: 350 to 400 years
Plastic materials: 500 years
Batteries: more than 1,000 years
Glass bottle: 4,000 years

Google translator

ES EU EN FR

CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

So many climbers don't show any respect for nature on their climbs and this makes me very sad. I believe you have to respect the environment above anything else, even above reaching the top.

Maurice Herzog
First person to conquer Annapurna

Of Interest

The Mountain Alliance