Dominica will join the rest of the world in observing International Mountain Day, on December 11. International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.
Mountains are crucial to life. Whether we live at sea level or the highest elevations, we are connected to mountains and affected by them in more ways than we can imagine. Mountain biodiversity plays a key role in the support of global environmental, economic, social and cultural sectors through connections to a rich variety of plants and animals, air pollution, climate change, mining, hydropower, tourism, forests, and agriculture.
Therefore, the challenge is to sustainably manage mountain regions to avoid degradation and avoid subsequent increases in poverty and hunger.
Our indigenous people, The Kalinago, named the island Waitukubuli, meaning “Tall is Her Body”. Dominica’s mountains soar to nearly 5,000 feet, their slopes thickly forested and beautifully crowned with rainforest and elfin woodland.
Our volcanic mountains have enabled us to offer very valuable products which help boost our tourism industry. Our bubbling hot springs which have given rise to numerous sulphur spring baths, in the calm surroundings of the rainforest, offer relaxing and therapeutic experiences. The Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasts of the second-largest boiling lake as well as freshwater lakes, cool rivers and spectacular waterfalls.
This year the day will be celebrated under the theme ‘Mountains Matter for Youth’. As noted by the United Nation, “International Mountain Day is a chance to highlight that, for rural youth, living in the mountains can be hard. Migration from the mountains leads to abandoned agriculture, land degradation and a loss of ancient cultural traditions. Education and training, market access, diverse employment opportunities and good public services can ensure a brighter future for young people in the mountains.
This year, youth will take the lead and demand that mountains and mountain peoples become central in the national and international development agendas; receive more attention, investments and tailored research.”
For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at 767 448 2045. Or, visit Dominica’s official website. See Dominica’s Updates on the tourism sector post-Hurricane Maria.
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