Mountain Research and Development
The leading international scientific journal specifically devoted to sustainable development in the world’s mountains

Published by the International Mountain Society (IMS)

Mountain Research and Development Journal
Goats in a corral in the High Monte of Northwest Argentina. The animals graze during the day and are returned to the corral at sunset to prevent predation. Rural outmigration in the region is coupled with a marked reduction in livestock herd sizes, as an article in this issue shows. Photo by Ana L. Dip Yordanoff

Open Issue

VOL 46 | NO 2
May 2026

Topics include links between rural outmigration and land use change in Argentina, participatory digital mapping and local learning in Nepal, a tool to support land use decisions in Ethiopia, and more.

Marlène Thibault
A participant in the digital mapping intervention shows a nonparticipating fellow villager the smartphone app, the digital map, and its functions during a social gathering. Photo by Rongkun Liu

Participatory Digital Mapping in Mountain Communities: Experiences of Participation, Learning, and Barriers in Nepal’s Himalayas

By Rongkun Liu et al
MountainDevelopment

This study shows that participatory digital hazard mapping can contribute to community resilience through localized learning and incremental knowledge circulation embedded in everyday social relations.

Marlène Thibault
Alpaca breeders’ village on the slopes of the Ausangate mountain in Pitumarca, Cusco, Peru. Photo by Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel

We are looking for additional Editors-in-Chief!

Join our team to help shape knowledge for sustainable mountain futures and strategically guide our unique, not-for-profit, community-supported scientific journal aiming for societal impact!

Marlène Thibault
A group of people and packhorses traveling along a dry high mountain valley near Cerro Aconcagua in Mendoza Province, Argentina—a region severely impacted by a 15-year megadrought. Photo by Slava Auchynnikau on Unsplash

Drought Dynamics and Futures in Mountain Regions

VOL 47 | NO 3
Call for papers open

We seek contributions that offer insights into the complex, cascading effects of drought, bridge disciplinary boundaries, and present innovative responses to drought and water scarcity in mountains.

Marlène Thibault
Expansion of viticulture in the valleys of northwest Argentina’s High Monte. The vineyard area is managed as a key tourist service, overlooked by the boutique winery, situated above the cultivation zone. This illustrates how new services are being established in the valley areas, shifting land use patterns and transforming local labor dynamics. Photo by Ana L. Dip Yordanoff

Rural Outmigration and Land Use Changes in the High Monte of Northwest Argentina

By Ana L. Dip Yordanoff et al
MountainResearch

The authors show how valley cities with intensified land use stabilize regional populations, while highlands face depopulation. Knowing about these shifts is key for sustainable land use planning.

Marlène Thibault
MRD’s topic editors: Biraj Adhikari, Sunetra Ghatak, Ricardo Grau, and Denis Samyn.

A warm welcome to our new topic editors!

Biraj Adhikari, Sunetra Ghatak, Ricardo Grau, and Denis Samyn have joined the editorial team as topic editors for the coming 3 years. Click to find out more about them.

Marlène Thibault
Infrastructure for access to the Mer de Glace glacier and surrounding huts. Photo by Jean Miczka

Mountain Tourism—Trends and Transformations Toward Sustainability and Resilience

VOL 46 | NO 1
February 2026

Articles examine how mountain tourism is adapting to climate change and how the sector is being or could be transformed for greater sustainability, equity, and resilience.

Marlène Thibault

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