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Friday, January 2, 2009

Call to adapt to climate change

Extreme climatic events could threaten livelihoods and increase
vulnerability to food insecurity all over the world in future.
Adaptation strategies should focus on protecting local food supplies,
assets and livelihoods, efficient management of land, water and
livestock and energy-efficient agro industrial technologies, according
to Vijay Pratap Singh of the New Delhi-based Leadership for
Environment and Development (LEAD).In a paper titled 'Climate Change
and Food Security' that was presented at a seminar held here in
connection with the Annam National Food and Agro Biodiversity
Festival, Mr. Singh called for more efforts to protect ecosystems
through using degraded or marginal lands, afforestation, protection of
watersheds and coastal areas and preservation of mangroves.In another
paper presented at the seminar, K.P. Prabhakaran Nair, former
professor, National Science Foundation, Royal Society, Belgium
stressed the need for states like Kerala to review their land use
policy in view of the food crisis. "Many years ago, the Central
government advised Kerala to concentrate on cash crops. Now, when the
State is on the fringe of a very serious food shortage, New Delhi is
reluctant to release enough rive from the central pool to meet the
needs of Kerala, thus pushing the State into a crisis".

The Hindu, 1st January 2009

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