So what is the day for and how is it celebrated? Here's what we know.
What is International Mountain Day?
The United Nations Assembly designated the day to highlight the importance of sustainable mountain development and mountain communities.
Events are organised by the international community and it follows a different theme each year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is the U.N. branch mandated to lead observance of International Mountain Day.
When is International Mountain Day?
It falls on December 11 every year.
The day was first designated in 2003 and has taken place for the last 15 years.
What is this year's theme for International Mountain Day?
The theme for International Mountain Day 2018 is #MountainsMatter.
Mountain communities are often forgotten about, but today's events will help to focus the world on these precious and important people.
The areas the U.N. wishes to highlight are the mountains' importance in water, disaster rick reduction, tourism, food, youth, indigenous peoples and biodiversity.
Why do we celebrate it?
One billion people live in mountainous areas across the globe and around 50 per cent of the world's population depends on the mountains for their food, water and clean energy.
Mountains are under threat from climate change, land degradation, exploitation and natural disasters which would affect both communities living in the mountains, and the rest of the world.
These communities are coming under threat from environmental and political change, and International Mountain Day seeks to raise awareness of this.
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