Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions

significant experience in either mountain environments, waste issues or both. A stakeholder consultation meeting, entitled “Waste(ing) Mountains”, was organised at the World Mountain Forum in Mbale, Uganda in October 2016 during which a draft of the report was presented. Feedback was received from participants of various mountain regions around the world. The Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions is targeted at local and national governments of mountainous countries, local communities, the private sector, civil society and the international research community who work in mountain areas and have an interest or mandate in improving waste management. Given the global dimension of some of the waste issues in mountains, this Outlook is equally relevant for downstream countries and communities. It will also be of interest to individuals who visit mountains for recreation, such as trekkers, mountaineers and other tourists.

Landfill in the Wasatch Mountains. Photo © iStock/avid_creative

PERCENTAGE OF MOUNTAIN AREA PER COUNTRY

KYRGYZSTAN 90.7% TAJIKISTAN 91.9% NEPAL 80.7% BHUTAN 98.8%

KOSOVO* 80.2%

MONTENEGRO 89.3%

SWITZERLAND 83.6%

FYROM** 85.5%

LEBANON 81.1% ARMENIA 85.9%

Mountain area as percentage of total country area

Less than 20% From 20% to 40% From 40% to 60% From 60% to 80% More than 80%

Criteria for mountains ( as defined by UNEP-WCMC, 2002 ) : • Elevation > 300 m & local elevation range > 300 m

• Elevation > 1 000 m & slope > 5° • Elevation > 1 500 m & slope > 2° • Elevation > 2 500 m

LESOTHO 90.5%

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status,and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of independence. ** Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Source: Analysis by GRID-Arendal, 2016. Mountains derived from US Geological Survey National Mapping Division, EROS Data Center (EDC) (1996) GTOPO30.

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