Climate change and climate variability are among the top issues facing the world today. They pose real threats to the environment and to human systems specifically agricultural production, biodiversity and health, among others. Extreme climatic events such as typhoons are becoming more frequent and destructive, prolonged wet and dry seasons, and increased incidences of disease and pest outbreaks negatively affect agricultural production systems, leading to food and livelihood shortages — consequently threatening food and environmental security. Growing evidence of climate change around the world and in particular Southeast Asia, compels all sectors to act to ensure sustainability of lifelines that include: natural systems and food resources, rural livelihoods and human resources. The Southeast Asian region is challenged to increase its capacities and expertise to attain the set objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), specifically those that pertain to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and ensuring environmental sustainability. However, much of the research on climate change is conducted in a fragmentary fashion in different countries by discipline and sector. This situation presents opportunities for developing multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches. It is in this regard that the International Conference on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Food and Environmental Security (ICCCIAFES) was proposed to provide a venue for promoting integrative partnerships toward convergence of ideas for holistic solutions to reduce the impacts of climate change on the region’s food, environmental, nutritional and health security.
Peer-reviewed publication