Foreword In 2018, development specialists in five mountain regions around the world identified targets for urgent action to achieve progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in mountains by 2030. The lists were long and while some points were context-specific, many overlapped. The challenges common to most areas included reducing poverty, strengthening resilience, achieving gender equality and safeguarding mountain ecosystems. And promisingly, experiences have shown that progress on one target will have positive effects in several other high priority targets. But how can mountain societies best tackle these issues – and what support do they need? Should prevailing disparities be addressed first, or does the solution lie in realizing the manifold potentials of mountain communities and regions? The Austrian experience, both at home and in our longstanding cooperation with our partner countries, has shown that successful regional development processes are rooted in mountain communities’ culture and skills, respond to their needs and aspirations, and unlock their potentials and those of their region. Such processes are integrative, focus on synergies and bring actors from different sectors and governance levels together. In doing so, they strengthen the connectivity of mountain regions with urban centres as well as with regional, national and even global markets. A robust and diversified network of mutual and equal exchange between farmers, small-scale entrepreneurs, civil society organizations and external actors helps to develop vibrant communities and strengthen their resilience against slowbut also fast-onset changes, such as climate change or the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martin Ledolter, LL.M. Managing Director Austrian Development Agency (Š ADA/Wilke)
But achieving progress towards this vision is not an easy or straightforward endeavour. Mountain communities need support and special attention from policymakers. This volume of the Sustainable Mountain Development Series presents ten good practices from mountain regions worldwide, many of them backed through long-term engagement by the Austrian Development Agency. They show that inclusive planning, reliable and innovative public service provision, and co-creation of quality mountain products and associated value chains can contribute to sustainable transformation processes in mountains. It is my hope that these case studies and the concluding messages for policymaking encourage more actions in support of regional mountain development and unlock opportunities for mountain communities to realize their full potential and tackle disparities, thus ensuring that no one is left behind. Thank you!
Martin Ledolter
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