What does MIDAS mean in DEVELOPMENT

MIDAS stands for Mountain Integrated Development and Stewardship. It is a process designed to help communities manage their resources responsibly in order to create healthier, more prosperous mountain environments that meet the needs of both people and nature.

MIDAS works with local stakeholders such as communities, businesses, and governments to assess current resource management practices including natural resources such as water, vegetation, land use patterns, soils and biota; infrastructure such as transport networks; community services; cultural traditions; institutions/governance systems; trade policies; land rights regimes; etc.

During the MIDAS process different activities may be carried out which may include stakeholder mapping exercises (identifying who is involved with using or managing particular landscapes); assessments of current resource management practices in terms of how well these are meeting demands for conservation or human-needs related objectives; developing strategies for improved resource management (adaptive governance measures); monitoring how well different strategies are being implemented on-the-ground (socio-ecological surveillance system); capacity development efforts aimed at building resilience within local systems so that they may better respond to changes happening around them due to climate change effects or other external pressures etc. All these activities are done collaboratively between stakeholders present at any given stage of the process.

The efficacy and success of this approach lies mainly determined by how well all relevant actors can come together around shared visions towards common goals related to protecting mountain environments while also fulfilling human needs through sustainable development pathways. So far numerous success stories have emerged across multiple countries where this approach has been tested showing very hopeful outcomes in terms of reversing trends that could potentially lead ecosystems into irreversible damage if not addressed soon enough.