FAO's work on Climate Change
Climate change is a threat to global food security, sustainable development and poverty eradication. Greenhouse gases (GHG) from human activity are the most significant driver of observed climate change.
Climate change encompasses and goes far beyond global warming and its consequences – for example the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers leading to sea level rise. It brings about deeper implications such as extreme weather events, disruption of the water cycle, ocean acidification and changes in the function and composition of ecosystems.
The agriculture sectors that include crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, must adapt to a changing climate. Improving the resilience of food production systems is key to feeding a growing population. For this reason climate change must be addressed as an integral part of the overall development agenda.
Strategic Programmes
Smallholder farmers in West and Central Africa are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. For them, small-scale irrigation and other forms of agricultural water management are critical in...
Agroecology is based on applying ecological concepts and principles to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while taking into consideration the social aspects that need to be...
The Emissions intensity (Ei) of enteric methane (CH4) varies greatly across the globe. There are a number of ongoing efforts to generate more robust estimates of mitigation potential in the...
Recent publications
The agricultural sectors should be a priority for the international community given their prominence in the INDCs and their potential to enhance climate change adaptation and mitigation. This paper was written by FAO to guide the international community when delivering support to developing countries. It identifies common challenges and the types of support required to address them.
Did you know?
Mountains occupy around 22% of the Earth’s surface, and are home to about 1.2 billion people, many of whom rely on the mountains for their water supply, agriculture, hydroelectricity and biodiversity.
Around the world, mountains share a number of common features related to climate change, one being the melting of glaciers and permafrost triggering rock fall, debris and mud flow which are a serious threat to humans and livestock and can severely damage property and crops. More…
Contact us
For more information please contact: climate-change@fao.org