To prepare for global warming
Friday, 26 December 2008
The world is likely to lose 10 to 40 per cent of farm output by 2100 due to global warming. Every 1.0 C* rise in temperature can reduce global wheat production by 4.0 to 5.0 millions tons. This is bound to affect availability of foodgrains, especially in the poorer countries.
Changes in temperature and humidity can also affect output and its quality. Global warming would particularly affect vegetables, fruits, basmati rice and medicinal plants in the northern region of Asia and crops like tea, coffee and spices in the southern regions. Since insects, which are both useful and or harmful for our crops depending on their functional role, are also dependent upon temperature and humidity; their populations can also change to further affect agricultural productivity.
According to the studies, dairy cattle population would decrease and fish breeding, migration and harvest would also be affected. Similarly, the impact on forests and human health would be significant.
So, it would be a great challenge for the next government to gear up to meet the situation in socio-economic context of the country.
It needs to take strategies for both mitigating green house gas emissions and adapting to expected changes to be defined and state plans and programs oriented accordingly. We should be prepared for bleak scenario when the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins, that are fed by melting snow in summers would be affected if glaciers decrease.
The next government needs to be aware of all aspect of climate change and prepared itself to overcome the situation from national and global perspective.
Mahmood Karim
Naya Paltan
Dhaka
Changes in temperature and humidity can also affect output and its quality. Global warming would particularly affect vegetables, fruits, basmati rice and medicinal plants in the northern region of Asia and crops like tea, coffee and spices in the southern regions. Since insects, which are both useful and or harmful for our crops depending on their functional role, are also dependent upon temperature and humidity; their populations can also change to further affect agricultural productivity.
According to the studies, dairy cattle population would decrease and fish breeding, migration and harvest would also be affected. Similarly, the impact on forests and human health would be significant.
So, it would be a great challenge for the next government to gear up to meet the situation in socio-economic context of the country.
It needs to take strategies for both mitigating green house gas emissions and adapting to expected changes to be defined and state plans and programs oriented accordingly. We should be prepared for bleak scenario when the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins, that are fed by melting snow in summers would be affected if glaciers decrease.
The next government needs to be aware of all aspect of climate change and prepared itself to overcome the situation from national and global perspective.
Mahmood Karim
Naya Paltan
Dhaka