Climate Change - The Root of all Evil?
Written by Theo Ebbers Friday, 27 May 2011 12:50
As pointed out in one of my previous forum posts climate change is increasingly seen as the core of all development problems. Climate Change is blamed for the heat and the cold, for too much of rain and too less of rain, for failed harvests, floods, storms and other disasters - and soon probably as the main driver of poverty.
Climate Change is becoming a convenient excuse for conveniently overlooking other human causes of environmental change, such as the clearing of forests, the damming of rivers and irresponsible, unsustainable irrigation practices, the conversion of food crop production to industrial crops etc.
This linked article discusses these issues in the context of Cambodia and questions the lack of analytical efforts from aid agencies and donors to address the root causes of developmental problems.
During one of my recent field visits to Cambodia I learned from a local farmer that if he cuts trees, the climate will even get hotter. he got that knowledge from one of the countless training courses on Climate Change impacts and adaptation.
Unfortunately, such "capacity building" for climate change adaptation is not restricted to Cambodia and becomes more and more common in all Southeast Asian Countries.
Wouldn't it be nice, if all these efforts were extended to "teach" the farmer how to increase the quantity and quality of farm output, enhance access to finance and build linkages with market where the products can be sold at a fair price?
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