Climate Change, Agriculture and Natural Resources
The Role of the Natural Resources Institute
How will a changing climate affect rural development?
Responding to climate change is one of the most urgent challenges facing humankind. The severest impacts are likely to be suffered by the poorest and most vulnerable in society who live in more fragile environments and have the least resources to adapt and recover.
The majority of the world's poor continue to live in rural areas and their livelihoods are heavily dependent upon agriculture and natural resources. There are thus serious implications for their food security, health and well-being, since it is projected that agriculture and natural resources will be severely affected by climatic change.
How will climate change affect agriculture?
In the longer term, mean temperature changes, increases in atmospheric CO2 and mean precipitation changes will have a profound effect on agriculture. The timescale for this is subject to debate, but even in the shorter term, climate change is affecting agriculture through increased frequency and severity of extreme events, such as droughts, floods and heat waves.
How can smallholders adapt to climate change?
There is great potential for smallholders in developing countries to adapt to climate change – much of which will comprise an intensification of their current adaptations to climate variability – through activities such as selection of appropriate crops and varieties, manipulation of planting times, micromanagement of soil and water- and livelihood diversification.
However, this will crucially depend on the availability of appropriate technologies and institutional innovation systems and having the right supporting policies and advice in place. The scale of projected climate changes and the challenges posed by existing climate variability to disadvantaged smallholders in low income countries is immense.
There is thus an urgent need to understand these challenges better, to build adaptive capacity to respond, and to develop appropriate strategies which promote sustainable and equitable agricultural and rural adaptation.
How can NRI help?
NRI has been working to support rural development in developing countries for over 100 years, conducting inter-disciplinary research, consultancy and capacity building. NRI expertise in smallholder agriculture, natural resources management, economic development and rural livelihoods is highly relevant to the challenges posed by climate variability and change. Together with our partners, NRI will contribute to the search for effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Our key areas of intervention in climate change work are:
- identifying and assessing potential climate change impacts, especially the consequences for poor people's livelihoods;
- developing appropriate technical, institutional and policy-based strategies in collaboration with partners;
- analysing existing mitigation strategies and assisting in the development of equitable and sustainable future mitigation pathways;
- supporting southern voices in responses to climate change, particularly at the grass-roots level.