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UN:
IMMEDIATE ACTION CRUCIAL TO TACKLE AFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING, UN OFFICIAL
WARNS: 11/9/2007 (MaximsNews.com, U.N.)
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UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com@
U.N./
- 12 September 2007 – A
senior United Nations official yesterday called for action not only to tackle the
causes of global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also to cope
with its effects such as the increasing vulnerability of agriculture which
places developing countries especially at risk.
Abnormal changes in air
temperature and rainfall and the increasing frequency and intensity of drought
and floods have long-term implications for the viability and productivity of
world agro-ecosystems, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Assistant
Director General Alexander Müller told over 140 world experts convened in Rome
for a workshop on Adaptation Planning and Strategies.
“FAO is already
actively assisting its members, particularly developing countries, to enhance
their capacity to confront the negative impacts of climate change on
agriculture, forests and fisheries,” Mr. Müller said, noting that this means
helping people to adapt their agricultural systems to changed conditions and
specific stresses.
This involves providing
creative solutions and alternative approaches, such as introducing crop
varieties that can tolerate heat and water stress, he added, calling for greater
attention to forecasting extreme events and trends by collecting data and
developing tools to produce on-hand information for adapting countries’
agriculture.
Ways must be found to
build up the resilience of people and of food production systems, he said,
noting that agriculture – the sector most affected by changes in climate
patterns – will be increasingly vulnerable in the future. Especially at risk
are developing countries, which are highly dependent on agriculture and have
fewer resources and options to combat damage from climate change.
In the short term, as
the global average temperature rises 1-3º Celsius, industrialized countries may
well gain in food production potential, but at lower latitudes, especially in
subsistence sectors, marginal, semi-arid and sub-humid regions where rain-fed
agriculture is the norm, crop potential will most probably decline even with a
minimal rise in global temperature, according to FAO.
Agriculture is both
culprit and victim when it comes to climate change. It is estimated that the
livestock sector alone accounts for 18 per cent of global greenhouse gas
emissions, while deforestation is responsible for 18 per cent of carbon dioxide
emissions.
According to FAO,
introducing improved livestock management and crop practices, coupled with
adaptive management of forests, could have a very significant impact. Adopting
land-use practices such as conservation agriculture would also help to maintain
significant amounts of carbon in the soil.
Rice production is
another major source of greenhouse gas emissions. It is perhaps the main source
of anthropogenic methane, with some 50 to 100 million metric tons per year
emitted from the world’s 130 million hectares of rice paddies, the agency
said.
At the same time
adverse and extreme weather conditions can jeopardize rice crop production,
which feeds more than half the world’s population. A major benefit could be
achieved by introducing different and improved rice varieties with greater
salinity tolerance. These were successfully used by FAO to expedite the recovery
of production in areas damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The rapid transition
toward greater use of biofuels could also help to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, so long as food security and environmental considerations are taken
into account, FAO said.
The workshop has been
organized by the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
and is part of a series of meetings to assess strategies to cope with the
effects of global warming.
Labels: United
Nations, U.N.,
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