Environment Pollution

The Asian Development Bank has warned that climate change posed "fundamental threats to Asia's food and energy security" which, the bank said, could trigger an upsurge in migration. The report also warns of sharply rising food prices and potential shortages.

Presenter: Ron Corben
Speaker: Mark Rosegrant, report co-author from the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute
The Asian Development Bank presented three reports - on food security, energy and migration on the sidelines of this week's negotiations in Bangkok on a new climate change treaty.

The ADB's studies, warned food prices such as those for rice, maize and wheat - the region's main staples - could rise by as much as 100 per cent by 2050 unless climate changes were contained. South Asian economies of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are expected to be most affected.

The report also warned of declining access to affordable energy that could lead to fresh waves of migration.

I asked Mark Rosegrant, a co-author of the report, from the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute whether there was sufficient time to prevent the forecast trends in agriculture taking place.

ROSEGRANT: I think we're running out of time to really slow climate change. I mean there's increasing evidence that temperature changes are accelerating. You've seen all the evidence of ice melting - Arctic and Antarctic that's looking at a pretty scary future. It seems to me the big agreements have to get in place very soon or we'll be facing a radically different Earth in 30 to 40 years from now unless something is done very quickly.

CORBEN: A key concern raised by Mr. Rosegrant is the potential for increasing conflicts within the region as extreme weather conditions deeply affect local communities.

ROSEGRANT: Not only are food prices going to be higher but the water is going to be scarcer, land is going to be scarcer. Multiple pressures on the land. I think the bio-fuel issue is going to...