ABSTRACT
Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change-IPCC (2001, 2007a, 2007b) warns that the progress in human develop ment achieved over the last decade may be slowed down or even reversed by climate change, as new threats emerge to food and livelihood security, agri cultural production and access, and nutrition and public health. Agriculture constitutes the backbone of most developing economies throughout the world and in turn, food and fi ber production is essential for sustaining and enhancing human welfare (Rosenzweig and Parry 1994, Fischer et al. 1996). Consequently, agriculture has been a major concern in discussions on climate change. Agronomic and economic impacts from climate change depend primarily on two factors, i.e., (i) the rate and magnitude of change in climate attributes and the agricultural effects of these changes, and (ii) the ability of agricultural production to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Temperature,
precipitation, atmospheric carbon dioxide content, the incidence of extreme events and sea level rise are the main climate change-related drivers which impact agricultural production (Adams 1998). Climate change, however, is considered as posing the greatest threat to agriculture and food security in the 21st century, particularly in many of the poor, agriculture-based countries with their low capacity to cope effectively (Darwin and Kennedy 2000, Adams et al. 1995). Mountain agriculture is already under stress as a result of population increase, industrialization and urbanization, competition over resource use, degradation of resources and insuffi cient public spending for rural infrastructure and services. The impact of climate change is likely to exacerbate these stresses even further. The outlook for the coming decades is that agricul tural productivity needs to continue to increase and will require more water to meet the demands of grow ing populations. Ensuring equitable access to water and its benefi ts now and for future generations is a major challenge as scarcity and competition increase. The amount of water allocated to agriculture and water management choices will determine, to a large extent, whether societies achieve economic and social development and environmental sustainability (Iglesias et al. 2000, Easterling et al. 1993).
