14 DAY TRIAL // Increased worldwide temperatures, triggered by global warming and climate change, would take a heavy toll on the Pacific region, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations announced on Tuesday. The Pacific islands will be the most severely affected, as their yearly harvests are heavily dependent on seasonal rains. Stronger atmospheric conditions will cause the soil to erode and the rivers to dry up.
"Climate projections for the Pacific island countries are bleak and indicate reduced food security, especially for households," says the assistant director-general of FAO, Alexander Mueller, in a statement accompanying the last report of the organization. "There is a need to act urgently," he emphasizes, in order for catastrophic situations to be averted. Already, the shape of our environment is rough, and increased amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the air will only make the situation worse.
The report also says that the region will be more prone to experiencing droughts, floods and other severe atmospheric conditions over the coming years, as temperatures and sea levels increase. It also warns of the fact that more salty waters coming in from the ocean could affect the fertile soil surfaces currently feeding millions.
Fish supplies will also become a pressing issue in the near future, seeing how even now stocks are dwindling, on account of overfishing and unsustainable harvesting. The countries in the Pacific region have some of the highest consumption rates in the world, when it comes to fish and creatures of the depths, so any threat coming from that direction is a major one.
As far as agriculture goes, some nations in the area rely heavily on just one type of plant, which they export to other places. The UN report urges them to diversify their practices, as they would otherwise expose themselves to the effects of the global financial crisis, which could make traditional markets for these types of products inaccessible for various periods of time.