After almost a week of meetings in Geneva, the IPCC agreed on the final shape of a special climate change and land use report. It focuses on desertification, land degradation, the impact of greenhouse gases on ecosystems, sustainable land management options, and food safety.
• People exploit over 70% of the planet’s ice-free surface.
• Currently 70% of the Earth's freshwater resources is used for agriculture.
• Between 25-30% of food produced for human consumption is wasted.
• Soil erosion rates from ploughed fields is 10 to 100 times greater than rates of soil formation.
• The air over land is warming twice as fast as the world average.
• It is estimated that from anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions, 13% of carbon dioxide (CO2), 44% of methane (CH4) and 82% of nitrous oxide (N2O) in the atmosphere come from agriculture, forestry and other human land use.
• Is based on the work of 107 leading researchers from 52 countries.
• 53% of the authors are from developing countries.
• The report synthesizes information from some 7,000 research articles and incorporates more than 28,000 comments and reviews.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an advisory body founded 20 years ago at the request of the UN members. It examines the most reliable existing research on climate change and thus provides objective knowledge.
The report on Global warming of 1.5 ° C, published by the IPCC in 2018 just before the COP24 Climate Summit in Katowice, caused quite a stir. In September, the IPCC plans to release a report on the status of oceans and glaciers.
Source: IPCC Report