A professor at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the University of Greenwich has contributed to a United Nations (UN) report about climate change, land and food security policy, released this week.
John Morton, Professor of Development Anthropology, was one of 12 Lead Authors to contribute to a chapter of the Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL), published this week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change.
An expert in climate change and agriculture, Professor Morton co-authored the report's final chapter, which translates findings from earlier chapters into key risks to land-based systems and food security.
It identifies possible policy responses to these risks and considers the implications of risks and responses for decision-making processes and governance.
Professor Morton said: "We were able to highlight broader aspects of decision making and governance, such as the participation of communities, the inclusion of women, respect for indigenous and local knowledge, and land tenure policies that are based on understanding of how land is actually owned and accessed in developing countries.
"Taking these aspects into account can contribute both to managing the risks to livelihoods and food security from climate change and land degradation, and to reducing the extent to which food production systems and other human land-uses contribute to greenhouse gas emissions."
SRCCL is one of three Special Reports on themes prepared as part of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle, the others being the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5oC (SR15) and the Special Report on The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC).
As the Report was accepted by the governments of the world, meeting in Geneva at a plenary assembly of the IPCC's 50th Session, Professor Morton added: "I'm very proud to have been associated with this report, and especially with the chapter on risk management and decision-making, which I worked on as part of a very inspiring international team."
'Climate Change, Agriculture and Natural Resources,' the NRI Development Programme led by Professor Morton, is one of the focus areas of NRI's Food and Nutrition Security Initiative (FaNSI).
The recently-launched programme aims to expand research capacity on climate change, food loss and waste, sustainable agricultural intensification and food systems for nutrition.
The SRCCL chapter, entitled 'Risk Management and Decision Making in Relation to Sustainable Development', is available here and there's more information on the NRI's website.
