WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO) - ORGANISATION METEOROLOGIQUE MONDIALE - ORGANIZACION METEOROLOGICA MUNDIAL

Mr. G.O.P. Obasi, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

The optimistic goal of the 1974 World Food Conference to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition within a decade has clearly not been reached. On the contrary, while global food production has since increased, over 800 million people are said to be chronically undernourished, spread over 80 low-income, food-deficit countries. International actions which thus far have been primarily in the form of short-term food aid in response to drought or conflict-related famine, have failed to offer a dignified long-term solution to food self-sufficiency for all. Any food plan of action should therefore focus primarily on long-term development, along with rehabilitation, and on those factors that most contribute to food insecurity. Food insecurity also promotes conflicts and refugee problems.

Additionally, failure to utilize scientific knowledge on the important linkages between food security on the one hand, and weather, climate and water on the other, can negate or restrict attempts at achieving adequate food production and availability. For example, droughts in the Sahel region of Africa have caused some billions of dollars damage to the food production system; just one typhoon in the Philippines in 1981 brought over 60 million dollars in damage to crops; and recently, severe flooding in China, North Korea and Bangladesh was the worst in many years with extensive crop damage.

On the positive side, judicious applications of climate and weather information could yield highly significant dividends. As demonstrated in field projects in Mali, increases in yield of over 20 percent to 30 percent could be achieved. In Guatemala, yields could be increased, while reducing by up to 50 percent, the water normally used in irrigation. Vietnam now estimates that it can increase its food production by one percent annually through the proper use of weather and climate information. For these reasons, the African Centre of Meterological Application for Development (called ACMAD) and the AGRHYMET Centre, both located in the Niger, a sub-Saharan country, and the Drought Monitoring Centres in Nairobi and Harare, which have all demonstrated their effective contribution to food self-sufficiency through their climate prediction, should be appropriately supported by the international community. Of relevance is a recent major scientific breakthrough which now allows drought predictions of a few seasons to a few years ahead to be made by such centres.

For the longer term, the Summit will have to consider the potential impact of human-induced climate change on food production. While global agricultural production may not be significantly affected, regional yields and productivity will vary considerably. Regions at risk, include sub-Saharan Africa, some parts of Asia, tropical areas of Latin America, as well as some of the Pacific Island countries. The World Meteorological Organization supports the Rome Declaration and the Plan of Action, in particular its Commitments 3 and 5. There is, however, the need to strengthen the weather, climate and water-related aspects of food security. The details of these are already contained in my distributed text.

Let me reiterate that proposals to achieve the Summit's objective have to be aimed primarily at long-term self-sufficiency in food and to be focused on mechanisms which have been put in place by the affected regions and nations. Humanitarian efforts should remain only as stop-gap emergency aid. Together we should move steadfastly towards the ultimate elimination of hunger while preserving our planet from degradation. The World Meteorological Organization joins in this commitment which we should all renew here. We cannot afford to fail.