TWENTY-NINTH FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE NEAR EAST

Climate Change: Implications for Agriculture in the Near East

Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt, 1-5 March 2008

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for understanding climate change, its potential impacts and options of adaptation and mitigation. In its Fourth Assessment Report, IPCC found the understanding of anthropogenic warming and cooling influences on climate has improved since the Third Assessment Report (TAR), “leading to very high confidence that the globally averaged net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming”.

In addition, it found that “observational evidence from all continents and most oceans shows that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases”.

Agriculture has multiple roles in any discussion of climate change. Not only is agriculture likely to be one of the victims of climate change, it is also a contributor through greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, at the same time, agriculture also has great potential to contribute substantially to climate change mitigation.

It is the purpose of this paper to provide overall information – mainly based on IPCC assessments and other recent reports – on potential climate change impacts, especially as it applies to the mandate of FAO in the Near East Region. In addition to this Introduction, the document includes:

• a description of impacts in the Region, by sector;
• a view of potential for adaptation and mitigation of impacts; and
• conclusions.

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