Mountains in East Africa: the missing Commonwealth dimension

Mountains play a vital ro?le in the global ecosystem and economy. They are a source of most of the world's fresh water and many mountain regions possess key sites of biodiversity, while forested areas are both economically and ecologically important. While international agencies variously highlight mountain issues, there is virtually no direct involvement of Commonwealth-based activities, despite the fact that the Commonwealth contains some of the world's most significant mountain areas. In the wake of the 2002 International Year of the Mountains, the author draws on 15 years of studies of the East African Mountains to examine the successes and failures of government policies and international interventions.