The Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) monitors the condition of major foodcrops across the globe to assess production prospects. To support the analysis and supplement ground based information, GIEWS utilizes remote sensing data which a valuable insight on water availability and vegetation health during cropping seasons. In addition to rainfall estimates and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), GIEWS and FAO Climate Change Division have developed the Agricultural Stress Index (ASI), a quick-look indicator for early identification of agricultural areas probably affected by dry spells, or drought in extreme cases.

The Local Climate Estimator is a software program and database which provides estimates of average climatic conditions at locations for which no observations are available. The programme can (a) create climatic maps, (b) extract data in various formats from the database for further processing and (c) display graphs showing the annual cycle of monthly climate and the crop calendar.

The Climate Impacts: Global and Regional Adaptation Support Platform (ci:grasp) is a web-based climate information service. It aims to support decision makers in developing and emerging countries to prioritise adaptation needs, and to plan and implement appropriate adaptation measures. It performs as a climate information service and provides sound knowledge on current and projected climate stimuli, climate impacts and adaptation options at the national, sub-national and regional level. It includes a growing collection of tailored interactive tools that allow the user to explore climate information in its geographical context. ci:grasp supports users during the development of the adaptation strategies when formulating National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) by offering information on climate impacts and by providing an open-source of adaptation projects.  

The formluation and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and strategies involve decisions related to climate-risk management which have to be based on reliable, relevant, usable and timely information about the climate. This Supplement to the Technical Guidelines for the National Adaptation Plan Process, explains how to better intergrate climate services in the NAP process.

Theo bjective of this study is to provide an analysis of the current level of integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) in seven Pacific island countries (Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Palau, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu),with an emphasis on the policy and institutional environment. The report outlines some of the barriers to integration and makes recommendations on how they can be addressed.  

This publication reproduces one of the discussion papers of the High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy in June 2008. The scope of this paper is to identify a strategy for climate change responses in agriculture that are consistent with safeguarding food security, rural livelihoods and the provision of environmental services. Special focus is given to existing and potential future mechanisms necessary to support adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer and financing at national, regional and international levels.

FAO-Adapt serves a double purpose: it systemises the adaptation activities currently underway across the organisation and presents a comprehensive body of work to the outside world. Tis document consists of five main sections: Chapter 1 introduces the background and context of FAO-Adapt; Chapter 2 discusses climate change impacts on the agriculture sectors and food security; Chapter 3 defines adaptation in the context of the agriculture sectors and describes means and measures for adaptation; Chapter 4 introduces FAO’s work on climate change adaptation with its core principles and priority adaptation themes and actions; Chapter 5 presents FAOAdapts implementation proposals.

This paper aims at providing a more objective vision of advantages and drawbacks highlighted from a joined thinking on the link between climate change and development. The agriculture sector is part of solution to cope with climate change and can be remunerated through climate change funds. Its impacts can be appraised through the carbon balance appraisal thank to some tools and methodology. This paper targets national agriculture sector, forestry and food security policy makers, institution-based, agency and donor decision-makers.

This review is to support least-developed countries (LDC), development partners and donors in planning and implementing climate change adaptation actions for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It analyses the existing national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) of LDCs to identify why and in what ways the sector has been identified as needing priority adaptation action and how this prioritization has transferred into actual projects through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF). The report familiarizes fisheries and aquaculture decision-makers in LDCs with the NAPA process and the means for NAPA implementation; reviews country priorities vis-à-vis the fisheries and aquaculture sector; and provides those in the climate change arena with an understanding of the particular needs and vulnerabilities of the sector.

Developped as a supporting material that focusses on the technical aspects of water and adaptation planning, the Water Supplement is intended for use by those leading the NAP process at a national level, by water planners and managers responsible for addressing adaptation in water resource management and key water use sectors.