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Agriculture |
The majority of the world’s poor and food-insecure depend on agriculture for livelihood and sustenance. Most live in regions characterized by marginal soils and climate, lack of access to irrigation, and hence dependence on the uncertainty of rainfall. The Green Revolution tripled global food production, moved hundreds of millions out of chronic hunger and poverty and stimulated broad economic development across much of Asia and Latin America. Yet rural poverty and hunger persist at an unacceptable scale.
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Health |
Good health status is one of the primary aspirations of human social development. Consequently, health indicators are key components of human development indices – for example, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), by which we measure progress toward sustainable development. Certain diseases and ill health are associated with particular environmental, seasonal and climatic conditions.
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Water Resources |
The supply of fresh water in the developing world is very sensitive to the impacts of climate. Population growth, changing lifestyles and shifting land use patterns have heightened the demands on water systems. The combination of increased demand and climate uncertainty makes it essential to plan water management with the best climate information available. Advances in hydroclimatic science, global datasets including remote sensing and the development of climate forecasting ability in many parts of the world, provide rich new opportunities for improved "climate - smart" water management, infrastructure planning and disaster risk management.
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Economics & Livelihoods |
Climate variability has tremendous impacts on rural and urban livelihoods in developing countries, and it tends to be the dominant source of risks to income and consumption. Fluctuations in climate can affect people's access to food, water and transport, their health and property, and the price they pay for goods. In addition, the lack of access to credit markets coupled with climate uncertainty contributes to the existence of poverty traps, and prevents certain segments of the population from participating in financial markets.
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