Adapting agriculture to climate change

A paper published today in the international science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS) identifies several practical steps to adapt Australia's agricultural sector to climate change.

'Given that our climate has already changed and that further change seems inevitable, it is important to take a pro-active stance to assess adaptation options, their benefits and costs, and how to alter policy and investment environments to facilitate their uptake,' says lead author Dr Mark Howden of CSIRO.

Climate adaptation analyses can reward early adopters of climate information, build the capacity for effective climate risk management, inform infrastructure investment decisions and help inform international discussions on reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as those happening in Bali this week.