Climate & Agriculture in the Pacific Islands: future perspectives

A majority of Pacific Islanders rely on subsistence farming and fishing for their survival. These sectors are also major foreign currency earners in a number of countries. In cultural terms, the very existence of Pacific Peoples is inseparable from the land. Although the risks to the physical survival of many Pacific Islands as a result of sea-level rise have been widely publicised, it is agriculture and marine and terrestrial ecosystems that are likely to be affected greatest in the next century. Adverse effects on these systems will probably render many areas uninhabitable long before they are totally inundated, if they ever are. This small volume aims to increase grass-roots awareness, to help Pacific populations cope with changes and make the necessary sacrifices to counter the negative impacts of climate change.