Applications Invited for Mountain Future Award 2025

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About the Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.

Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

About the Award

Glaciers play a vital role in regulating the global climate and supplying freshwater to over 2 billion people. Their accelerated retreat due to rising temperatures threatens water availability, food production and livelihoods in mountain regions and beyond. Melting glaciers and thawing permafrost increase the risk of floods, glacier lake outburst floods and landslides, endangering downstream populations and critical infrastructure. For many communities, vanishing glaciers also represent a loss of cultural identity, spiritual heritage and tourism. 

Mountain communities, especially youth and Indigenous Peoples, are on the frontlines of this crisis and are also key actors in developing innovative solutions and adaptation efforts.  

In celebration of International Mountain Day 2025, which contributes to the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) invites institutions, established organizations and individuals over the age of 18 to submit proposals for transformative projects that build resilience to glacier-related impacts and strengthen sustainable mountain economies and livelihoods, for a chance to win the 2025 Mountain Future Award. 

There are three winning categories:  

• Innovation – Projects that encompass technological (including digital), social, policy, financial and/or institutional innovations that address complex social, economic and environmental challenges in mountain regions.  
• Adaptation and/or mitigation – Projects that apply adaptation or/and mitigation strategies tailored to mountain ecosystems and communities. These may include sustainable water management, data and climate monitoring, resilient agrifood systems, nature-based approaches, the integration of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge or traditional techniques, and the promotion of circular economy.  
• Youth – Projects that emphasize youth leadership, such as being youth-led and/or youth-focused. This includes initiatives that promote universal and accessible training for young people in mountain areas and empower youth as agents of change through digital technology, research or entrepreneurship that contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of mountain resources. 

The award will prioritize projects that address glacier-related challenges, sustainable water management, agrifood systems, glacier preservation or the resilience and livelihoods of mountain communities. 

What the Mountain Future Award offers  

The Mountain Future Award, sponsored by a Mountain Partnership member, will recognize the three best project proposals—one per category. Winners will be selected by mid-November, and the award will be presented during the official International Mountain Day event in December 2025. 

Each awardee will receive: 

• Cash prize to support project implementation 
• International recognition and visibility opportunities (i.e. promotion on FAO and Mountain Partnership websites, social media features, potential media outreach and engagement with the Mountain Partnership’s global network) 
• Follow-up meetings with the Mountain Partnership Secretariat to discuss project progress 

Eligibility

• Applicants must be individuals over the age of 18, institutions or established organizations.
• Applicants must be the original creators of the project proposal they submit.
• Eligible proposals may include new projects, or projects in planning, pilot or early implementation stages. Projects that are fully implemented are not eligible.
• Only projects that operate in or directly benefit mountain regions are eligible. Entirely AI-generated submissions are not permitted. Applicants must demonstrate original thought and are encouraged to disclose any AI-assisted content.

How to Apply

The deadline for submissions is 31 October 2025. Project proposals may be submitted in English, Spanish or French via the online form. 

For more information please check the Link

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