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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 10, NUMBER 3, MARCH 1997

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Item #d97mar8

"Can Large-Scale Environmental Migrations be Predicted?" B.R. Döös (Global Environ. Mgmt., Jordangasse 7/13, A-1010 Wien, Austria), Global Environ. Change, 7(1), 41-61, Apr. 1997.

The increasing degradation of the global environment can be expected to lead to increasing numbers of environmental refugees during the next few decades. Emphasizes two particular problems, the declining availability of food per capita in the developing world, and migration from low lying coastal areas driven by rising sea level. For these problems there are compelling reasons to believe migrations can be predicted with sufficient reliability to motivate implementation of mitigation measures. So far, the more developed countries have demonstrated little interest and imagination in the possible occurrences and consequences of migrations, appearing to believe the problem can be solved simply by sharpening their immigration policies.

Item #d97mar9

"The 1996 World Food Summit," L.O. Fresco (Plant Production Systems, Univ. Wageningen, 6706 KN Wageningen, Neth.), ibid., 1-3.

This commentary states that, from the point of view of global change, a number of issues were missing or underplayed at the summit. Climate change was mentioned in some background papers, but did not appear to be a major topic despite the potential loss of fertile agricultural land in coastal zones, and the potential impact of elevated CO₂ on future food production.

Item #d97mar10

"Water Resources: Agriculture, the Environment and Society-An Assessment of the Status of Water Resources," D. Pimentel (College of Agriculture & Life Sci., Cornell Univ., Ithaca NY 14853), J. Houser et al., BioScience, 47(2), 97-106, Feb. 1997.

This comprehensive analysis examines the consumption of water by individuals, agriculture and energy production, and the relationship of water availability to biodiversity. Suggests strategies for improving future water use in the face of conflicting demands from population growth, climate change, and changing water use patterns. New water supplies likely will result from conservation, recycling, reuse, and improved efficiency, rather than from large development projects.