RSSNewsletterSiteMapFeedback

Home · Weather · Forum · Learning Chinese · Jobs · Shopping
Search This Site
China | International | Business | Government | Environment | Olympics/Sports | Travel/Living in China | Culture/Entertainment | Books & Magazines | Health
Home / Environment / Opinions Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
FAO official on climate change and food security
Adjust font size:

Climate change will compound the already difficult task to feed an increasing population of the world, and a political consensus on reacting to climate change has to be reached as soon as possible, said a U.N. official on Thursday.

"My fear is that the political process on climate change is moving very slow. I wonder if we can afford it. We have to react quickly, on climate change mitigation at all levels and starting climate change adaptation," Dr. Wulf Killmann, chairperson of FAO' s Inter-departmental Working Group on Climate Change said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Climate change and its impacts add to the many reasons why there are still millions of people around the world on hunger.

The international community has set the task of reducing the number of people on hunger by half by 2015, but climate change has made it more difficult to realize the goal, said Dr. Killman.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is committed to achieving food security for all. And food security is not only about food production, but also access to enough food.

FAO has as its mandate to assist member countries in overcoming hunger, maintaining food production, food accessibility and food stability, said the U.N. official on the sidelines of the ongoing U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali.

"FAO's grave concern is what to do to avoid deforestation or at least to reduce it," said Mr. Killmann from the Rome-based U.N. body.

According to FAO statistics, deforestation is estimated to have occurred at the alarming rate of 13 million hectares per year in the period 1990-2005, accounting for 20 percent of global annual greenhouse gas emissions in the late 1990s and making it the world ' s second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The FAO, as an observer to the U.N. climate change conference, stands ready to offer technical assistance in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, said Mr. Killmann.

The FAO is also to stage a series of side events at Forest Day that falls on December 8 to promote awareness for sustainable forest management and climate change mitigation, said the U.N. official.

The FAO is working with different countries at different levels in climate change adaptation. However, climate change adaptation methods in the agricultural sector must "go hand in hand" with mitigation, he said.

The FAO is due to hold a high-level conference on world food security and the challenges of climate change and bio-energy in Rome in June next year, and some heads of state or government are expected to attend the meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2007)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read

Comment
Username   Password   Anonymous
 
China Archives
Related >>
Most Viewed >>
-Severe winter weather may persist for another week
-Battle goes on against snowstorms
-Salt tide afflicts Shanghai
-La Nina, atmospheric circulation blamed for snow disaster
-Heavy snow piles on the agony
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing sulfur dioxide II
Shanghai particulate matter I
Guangzhou sulfur dioxide I
Chongqing particulate matter II
Xi'an particulate matter II
Most Read
-Severe winter weather may persist for another week
-Battle goes on against snowstorms
-Salt tide afflicts Shanghai
-La Nina, atmospheric circulation blamed for snow disaster
-Heavy snow piles on the agony
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
- Prof. Maria E. Fernandez to Give a Lecture on Climate Change
More
Archives
UN meets on climate change
The UN Climate Change Conference brought together representatives of over 180 countries and observers from various organizations.
Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base
SiteMap | About Us | RSS | Newsletter | Feedback

Copyright © China.org.cn. All Rights Reserved E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-88828000 京ICP证 040089号