The non-profit association Macromicro has obtained the patronage of the prestigious Mountain Partnership, the international alliance of governments and organizations that aims at safeguarding mountain territories, protecting the environment, safeguarding culture and promoting the sustainable development of the people who live there.

The Mountain Partnership, which was established in 2002 and is part of the United Nations, is based in Rome at the FAO and currently has 390 members.

Mountain territories have critical issues and needs that are totally different from the plain and, precisely for this reason, they are too often neglected by the community and politics. However, their importance cannot be ignored: they cover about a quarter of the earth’s surface, over 47% of Italy, and their slopes accommodate about 13% of the world’s population. They are also guardians of plant and animal biodiversity, a primary source of fresh water, necessary for human survival and economic activities. Last but not least, they represent an extraordinary mix of civilizations, cultures and traditions.

For all these reasons, one of the main objectives of the Mountain Partnership is to promote greater knowledge of the mountains and a growth in collective awareness of their sustainable development.

In this regard, the United Nations has established the International Mountain Day, which is celebrated on December 11 every year, during which the enormous value of the mountains is celebrated and reaffirmed throughout the world with events and manifestations.

“We are honoured – says Fabiano Ventura, President of the Macromicro Association – to become part of this great team, so composite and prestigious. But above all we are proud to be able to contribute, with the results of our project “On the Trail of the Glaciers“, to the dissemination, in the framework of the Mountain Partnership activities, of a wider knowledge of the mountain territories, especially in relation to the phenomenon of the melting of the glaciers.”