Mountain soils play an important role in the global carbon cycle, controlling erosion processes, providing essential ecosystem services and water management in high-altitude regions across the world. Factors such as climate change, deforestation and unsustainable farming and resource extraction methods can cause land degradation and desertification as well as a loss of soil variability and biodiversity in mountain areas. This session aims to bring together current knowledge pertaining to soil-related issues and possible strategies for sustainable mountain development.