Subforum at the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2025: mountain biodiversity and our life

Background

Biodiversity is essential to life on Earth, as it supports ecosystem resilience, human well-being, and sustainable development. Mountain ecosystems cover 22% of the world’s land surface and are home to nearly 25% of terrestrial biodiversity. These ecosystems are rich in endemic and endangered species, making them vital ecological treasures and key indicators of planetary health. Beyond their ecological importance, mountains provide critical services, including water, food, medicine, and climate regulation. However, they are increasingly threatened by climate change, with rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, habitat loss, pollution, and over-exploitation putting 84% of mountain species at risk (IPBES, 2019).

The 2025 Eco Forum Global Guiyang: mountain biodiversity and our life will bring together governments, scientists, Indigenous groups, and businesses to create science-based solutions, promote policy coherence, and encourage multi-stakeholder collaboration for the conservation of mountain biodiversity.

Building on the regional science-policy dialogue on “Third pole change and China’s response” at the 2024 International Mountain Forum in Chengdu, China the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) staff, biodiversity experts and policymakers from its regional member countries (RMCs) will participate in the subforum on mountain biodiversity – a regional science-policy investment dialogue, organised by Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Guizhou Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment at the Guiyang Eco Global Forum 2025 on 6 July.

This event is supported by the United Kingdom International Development (UKID) through its Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC).

Objectives

• Raise awareness about the importance of mountain biodiversity, its value, and the urgency of its conservation for long-term sustainability.
• Share the latest knowledge on best practices and innovative solutions for conserving mountain biodiversity and protecting mountain ecosystems.
• Foster collaboration among the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) countries to align regional efforts with global biodiversity conservation goals and enhance ecosystem resilience for human well-being in mountain regions.

Expected outcomes:

• The Guiyang recommendations will underscore the vital ecological and socio-economic significance of the HKH biodiversity, showing how it supports the well-being of nearly two billion people in and downstream of the region. This will call for urgent, collective action to protect the region’s rapidly disappearing rare and unique species and critical ecosystems.
• A dedicated working group will be formed to develop a regional proposal on the HKH biodiversity for the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF). This will enable ICIMOD and its member countries to strengthen collaboration with China and benefit from its knowledge and experience in science and conservation to combat biodiversity loss in the HKH region.