ROME (AP) — A U.N. food agency says climate change could push more people into hunger in the Pacific islands by ruining crops and forests and damaging the fish industry.
The Food and Agriculture Organization on Thursday urged leaders meeting at next month's climate meeting in Copenhagen to help Pacific nations.
The Rome-based agency said measures must be taken to adapt to rising sea levels, which can increase salinity in water supplies, changes in the number and distribution of fish, as well as an increase in extreme weather events such as cyclones and droughts.
The agency said diversifying crops and the fishing industry is one key measure. Also important is introducing salt and drought-resistant crops as well as rehabilitating coastal forests.
