• Land degradation problems and limited water supplies restrict present agricultural productivity and threaten the food security of some countries.

• As a consequence, societies dependent upon the income, food and shelter their forests provide them may well face increasing stresses due to crop failures, soil nutrient depletion and the effects of extreme weather events in the years to come.

• Adaptive response teams should be established to address and prepare for inevitable climate driven events such as massive migration, disease and epidemics, and food and water supply shortages.