Eastern Mediterranean faces agricultural decline under impact of climate change

Eastern Mediterranean faces agricultural decline under impact of climate change
Copyright euronews
By Euronews
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Climate change has a severe impact on agricultural production, both in the short and long term. What does this mean in practical terms?

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Climate change has a severe impact on agricultural production, both in the short and long term. What does this mean in practical terms?

Data we collected from Greece 10 years ago shows a projected decrease in agricultural production of an average 15 to 20 per cent.
Andreas Karamanos
Professor, Athens University

"We know all that the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, is a hot spot on the global basis for the effects of climate change,” says Andreas Karamanos, Professor at the Athens University. “There is quite a lot of research all over the world which shows that there is a negative impact of climate change on agriculture. Some data we collected from Greece 10 years ago shows a projected decrease in agricultural production of an average 15 to 20 per cent. I think that there is a basis to think and that an equivalent or even bigger reduction is expected in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East region".

And what is the exact timeline we’re facing?

"Well, all the projections referred to the middle and the end of the century,” he says. “So there is a mild scenario and there is also a severe or more acute scenario by the end of the year. So even the acute scenario, which projects an increase in temperature by about five degrees by the end of the century, is adopted, then the effects and impacts will be more negative than expected and more dramatic".

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