<span style="color: #222222;">Today is International Mountain Day. Mountains are home to 15 per cent of the world´s population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots. They provide freshwater for everyday life to half of humanity. Their conservation is a key factor for sustainable development and is part of Goal 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals.<br />”<br />”&nbsp;Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change and over-exploitation. The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the United Nations to declare 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first International Mountain Day was celebrated for the first time the following year in 2003.<br />”<br />”The theme of this year's International Mountain Day is Mountain biodiversity. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that India is home to the great Himalayas and many other mountain ranges with unique biodiversity. In a video message, Mr Javadekar said, mountain ecosystem plays an important role in shaping the sustainable development strategy of our country.</span><br />