ACCORDING to an Asian Development Bank report issued from Manila in October, Asia and the Pacific faces a food ‘storm’ in the coming decades unless it takes decisive steps to respond to a host of pressures on its food supplies, including from climate change.

Climate change is a major food security challenge in Asia with more than 60pc of the population, or 2.2 billion people, relying on agriculture and food production for income. It is estimated that developing Asia’s farms are expected to be hit hard by climate change, the production losses will be 2-18pc for irrigated rice and 2-45pc for irrigated wheat by 2050.

Furthermore, available water supplies are shrinking owing to increasing demand from consumers and competition from the agriculture and energy sectors. Around 70pc of Asia’s surface water is used for agriculture much of which is used inefficiently.

Many water-stressed countries lose large volumes of treated water through leakage in water-supply systems. Asia is running out of water for the future. Also, rising temperatures, increasing droughts and floods and other weather extremes are more worrying threats to food security.

In view of the above and based on techniques, knowledge and innovations developed by the farmers themselves, agro-ecology is a major alternative to the industrial agricultural model. If sufficiently supported by political and economic decision makers, it will be helpful in addressing both food insecurity and climate change.

Khan Faraz, Hayatabad

Peshawar

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APROPOS the report ‘Earth is warmer and wilder since last climate deal’ (Nov30). The gravity and urgency of the situation can be judged from the fact that 147 world leaders attended and voiced their grave concern at the climate change conference at Paris.

According to the US Department of Energy, the world is spewing more than 100 million tons of carbon dioxide a day now. It states: “With 1.2 billion more people in the world, carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuel increased nearly 50pc between 1997 and 2013 (from the last conference held in 1997 at Kyoto, Japan).”

Pakistan has the minimum level of carbon dioxide emissions presently, but is most vulnerable with an ever-growing population, from 35 million in 1947 to a likely 300 million by 2050, becoming the third most populous country in the world. The ecological system has also been disturbed due to widespread deforestation.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who attended the summit should spell out his plan of action to mitigate the chances of any major calamity in view of the rapidly melting glaciers, rising sea water and non-availability of fresh water in some parts of the country.

In fact an alarming situation has already arisen in the south of Sindh. A documentary aired by the BBC shows people are forced to build houses on stilts owing to the rising level of sea water. Similarly, the recent high floods in KP, Punjab and Sindh have played havoc, both in terms of human loss and standing crops.

Effective measures are needed immediately such as ensuring population growth at a reasonable level, conservation of energy and water, using alternative energy sources, building water reservoirs and greatly increasing the country’s forest area.

M.K. Sufi

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2015