Adapting to climate change: issues and challenges in the agriculture sector

While there is still much uncertainty surrounding the potential magnitude and likely impacts of climate change, there is consensus in the global scientifi c community that some climate change is already occurring and that further change is inevitable. Climate change is evident in both a change in average temperature and rainfall, as well as changes in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as frosts, heat waves, droughts and floods (IPCC 2001). It is considered likely that continued greenhouse gas emissions at or above current rates will result in further global warming in this century. Moreover, even if the atmospheric concentrations of all greenhouse gases and aerosols are stabilised at 2000 levels, global temperatures are projected to continue rising (IPCC 2007).