Climate change: Forestry, a step in the right direction

Global warming which is a natural phenomenon has given rise to climate change as a result of man´s contribution to this phenomenon. The roles of humans to global warming in two-fold: Firstly, through industrial activities which have caused increase in the concentration of CO₂ and other green house gases thereby exacerbating the degree of global warming of the Earth´s atmosphere to dangerous levels. The second concern is the denuding of Earth´s of the Earth´s forest; thereby reducing the Earth´s potential to absorb the increase in CO₂. Other effects are loss of biodiversity, desertification, genetic erosion, loss of soil fertility and flooding. The way out of the challenge is basically through adaptation and mitigation. Impacts of climate change are now inevitable hence the need to develop stress and drought tolerant species/varieties.