COA lists 7 strategies for climate change, agriculture

The meeting, attended by 300 experts from different industries at the National Taiwan University (NTU) International Conference Hall, was successful in generating cross-field dialogue on strategies that can help reduce carbon emissions, boost economic development and develop prevention methods for disasters caused by the extreme weather.

Rising global temperatures are a huge concern of the agricultural sector. An example of adverse effects is provided by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in a study showing that an average daily temperature increase of one degree Celsius is inversely proportional to 10 percent decline in rice crops yielded.

According to the study, if such numbers were applied to Taiwan rice production and temperatures increases in Taiwan predicted to be over 2 degrees Celsius within the century, the result will be an estimated 13 to 14 percent loss in overall rice production.

Lu Hu-shen, professor of the Department of Horticulture at NTU, stated that new strategies for alternative rice production and development are imperative. Reducing carbon emissions and developing effective natural pest control could also aid the decline in rice crops, he added.

According to COA Chairman Chen Wu-hsiung, the various concerns spawned the creation of seven policies to which the agricultural sector could adjust in response to climate change, which mainly focused on low-risk, low-carbon emission and new business developments.

The first policy addressed the need to develop a risk-based approach to evaluate food safety problems with a new system.

The second is aimed to develop anti-stress industrial technology which helps guard against drought, heat, salt and other elements, made possible by combining meteorological knowledge with technological research. Research on genetically modified crops is also in progress and will be conducted on non-food crops, such as flowers.

Chen clarified that although the consumption of genetically modified crops can be harmful to human health and induce cancer, the Department of Health (DOH) will be responsible for assessing the food safety concerns.

The third is aimed to promote low-carbon farming by emphasizing local production and consumption while establishing an agricultural carbon emissions inventory system.

The fourth adjustment is focused on detection of and planning around ecological functions of marginal land, which can include reshaping easily flooded areas into wetlands or creating buffer zones around deluged regions. Also included in this policy are the property rights, counseling and compensation of those who have been affected by unpredictable climate.

The fifth policy aims to strengthen the disaster prevention system of rural areas by integrating information and communication technology with the National Disaster Prevention System.

The sixth is to promote the creation and development of low-power, low-carbon emission businesses.

The seventh and last policy urges the establishment of risk management strategies on biodiversity, examples of which include expanding ecological and marine protected areas, constructing multi-species preservation mechanisms and establishing a biodiversity information center.

President Ma Ying-jeou, who was in attendance, voiced his optimism in the fight for reducing carbon emissions. Ma said that in 2009, Taiwan cut its level of carbon emissions by 5 percent and in 2008, by 4.4 percent. The government's goal is to reduce emissions by 2025 to the 2000 level, he added.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email