Climate change is intrinsically linked with forests and range lands. On the one hand, changes in global climate are already stressing forests through higher mean annual temperatures, altered precipitation patterns and more frequent and extreme weather events. At the same time, forests and the wood they produce trap and store carbon dioxide, playing a major role in mitigating climate change. And on the flip side of the coin, when destroyed or over-harvested and burned, forests and rangelands can become sources of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.

The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that there is very high confidence that the global average effect of human activity since 1750 has been one of warming of the climate system, with the industrial era seeing the highest increase rate of the last 10,000 years. Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to anthropogenic greenhouse concentrations. This change is already having a significant detrimental impact on species and habitats worldwide, and is likely to be the most profound threat to global biodiversity. Dryland ecosystems, like those of the Near East, are among the most vulnerable to this threat.

Climate change will have an inordinate impact on rangelands because the productivity of grass and shrub dominated ecosystems is so closely linked to the short term (effect of climate, weather. In general, most rangeland ecosystems and human activities associated with them are forecast to experience increasingly erratic precipitation and temperature patterns in the short and mid term future (20-100 years). Other aspects of climate change, such as invasive species and changes in land use, will also have significant effects on the ability of rangelands to meet human needs and desires.

Over thousands of years, Near East forests have gone through several intense and abrupt changes in climate. It is expected that under a climate change scenario, the great stability and genetic diversity of the many relic tree species of the Near East may play a significant adaptation role, and become an important target for in-situ conservation strategies. Nevertheless, there is also evidence of the extinction of trees species and forest types at a local and regional scale, mainly due to the combination of sharp changes in climate and human impacts. Because of the high human impact in the region, the Near East forests will be especially sensitive to future environmental changes and their consequences.

The predicted impacts and necessary adaptation measures are expected to be similar under similar climatic, ecological and socio-cultural conditions. However, unfortunately there is currently no working platform for information share in this particular issue and there is a lack in bilateral or regional cooperation among the countries in the region. Such interactions and cooperation should be initiated and endorsed, which could be used as an efficient regional platform to overcome the shortage of financing, sufficient research facilities, experts and institutions in individual countries.

In light of this situation, a 2 and a half day workshop with a main focus on prioritizing issues and exploring regional cooperation related to climate change, forests and rangelands for the Near East region is being organized by FAO, the FAO Finland Partnership Programme and the GIZ Regional project – Silva Mediterranea (CPMF).