Food & Climate 

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Predicting the Future 

The great challenge and the uncertainties

Feeding the growing population

More than 500 million people are affected nowadays by malnutrition and starvation derived from poverty. The great challenge for the XXI century is still to achieve the level of production that ensures enough food for the world population.

This challenge becomes harder to achieve as population exceeds 6000 million inhabitants and land, water and genetic resources are being spoiled as a result of overuse.

There is great concern in the scientific and management environment about the possible effects that climate change can have on world wide agricultural productions that can increase the number of people living at risk of starvation. These concerns are especially important in those areas most vulnerable to droughts and famines where also the increase of population is still fast.

The interest put on predictions about the future comes from the experience of extreme events that have devastated countries and societies and that could have had smaller consequences if they had been predicted and countries had been prepared to face them in the correct way. The picture shows the devastating effects of a hurricane in a very poor country like Honduras in Central America.

Author:  Marta Moneo and Ana Iglesias- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - España
1. Scientific reviewer: Alex de Sherbinin - CIESIN, Columbia University - USA
2. Scientific reviewer: Lily Parshall - Goddard Institute for space studies, Columbia University - USA
Educational reviewer: Emilio Sternfeld - Colegio Virgen de Mirasierra - España
Last update: 12/05/2004