Climate change is our greatest challenge

By SENIORL ANZU

 

Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today.

This global phenomenon is a definite process and is a fact of life with a complex manifestation in terms of its impacts on agriculture and food security.

National Agriculture Research Institute will stage the annual Agricultural Innovations Show next Tuesday at Bubia outside Lae, which will focus on climate change and agriculture in PNG.

NARI director general Dr Ghodake says PNG must take the initiative and urgently address the imminent impacts of climate change on the nation’s food and water security. He says PNG has to prepare and adopt a multidimensional strategy.

This includes the dissemination and adaptation of drought-coping strategies developed by researchers following the 1997 El Nino-induced drought.

Among them were drought tolerant and early maturing crop varieties of sweet potato, banana and cassava, both for the highlands and lowlands.