The United Nations Calling For Action Against Global Warming

"United Nations has called for action to tackle both global warming and its affects such as the increasing vulnerability of agriculture which places developing countries 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 Organisation Assistant Director General Alexander Miller said.

"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," Miller said.

This involves providing creative solutions and alternative approaches, such as introducing crop varieties that can tolerate heat and water stress, he said, 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 told over 140 world experts meeting in Rome for a workshop on Adaptation Planning and Strategies.

He said developing countries, which are highly dependent on agriculture and have fewer resources and options to combat damage from climate change are at risk.

In the short term, as the global average temperature rises 1 to 3 degree Celsius, industrialised countries may well gain in food production potential, but at lower latitudes crop potential will most probably decline even with a minimal rise in global temperature, according to FAO."