Science-based pathways to sustainability in mountains

Knowledge on pathways towards sustainability is growing, and also in mountain contexts. Likewise, the literature on sustainable mountain development (SMD), as well as the number of sustainability-oriented initiatives in mountain regions, are proliferating. However, evidence on if and how these initiatives contribute to changes in the fabric of legal, political, economic, and social-ecological systems in mountains, as advocated to achieve transformative change, remains elusive and difficult to systematically account for at the relevant scales. Based on examples of sustainability initiatives, this session aims to engage with researchers in a process of joint learning on science-based pathways for SMD, initiate a reflection on the concepts and theories of change adopted in formulating science-based pathways, and substantiate how systemic and transformative change could be supported in mountains. We seek to encourage engagement with and contributions to efforts within the Future Earth “Science-based pathways for sustainability” initiative, with experiences in mountain contexts.