Wheat blast is a devastating disease caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum that has spread to both neighbouring and distant countries following its emergence in Brazil in the 1980s. Under climate change conditions, wheat blast is predicted to spread primarily in tropical regions. Here we coupled a wheat crop simulation model with a newly developed wheat blast model, to provide quantitative global estimates of wheat blast vulnerability under current and future climates.

Au Maroc, les politiques foncières post indépendance de 1956 ont abouti dans la zone occupée par la France à la mise sous tutelle d’une partie du foncier récupéré de la colonisation officielle et privée (DPE), au maintien du régime des terres collectives codifié dès 1919 par les autorités coloniales et au transfert des grandes propriétés immatriculées à des acteurs nationaux. Dans la zone sous protectorat espagnol, la colonisation des terres agricoles a pris des formes différentes1.

This study conducted a participatory appraisal of climate vulnerabilities and conflict risks five communities across Senegal: 1) pastoral, agro-pastoral and farming communities in the drylands areas of Louga 2) farmer and agro-pastoral communities in Kaffrine, 3) fishing communities on the islands of the coastal area of Casamance, 4) relocated fishing communities in Saint Louis, and 5) displaced farming communities in the tropical forests of Casamance.

Food production and rural livelihoods' food security in Nepal face numerous threats for various reasons. Similar to global trends, the country contends with unpredictable weather patterns, including heat and drought stress on plants, as well as heavy precipitation. Around 80% of Nepal’s population is dependent on subsistence farming for their livelihood, while only 24% of all arable land is irrigated (Suhardiman et al., 2015).

The mid-hills of Nepal account for 68% of the country’s total area[1] and 56% of its arable land. Ranging in altitude from 610m to 4,876m, there are many small pockets of micro-irrigation that have the potential for high-value crop cultivation. However, almost a third of irrigable land here remains rainfed[2] and studies indicate an increase in fallow land due to a lack of year-round irrigation infrastructure and decrease in agricultural workforce.

Smallholder farmers residing in drylands represent the demographic most susceptible to the effects of climate change and variability. These individuals often grapple with limited resources, restricted access to credit, and a scarcity of arable land, which exacerbates their vulnerability. Managing climate risks within their production environment is not merely important, but a necessity. This is crucial to guarantee their food security and enhance their livelihood amidst the prevailing and future climate conditions.

Food system transformation is intrinsically tied to effective land and water resource management, especially in the regions facing competition among various land uses. The AhafoAno Southwest District in Ghana exemplifies this complexity, with agriculture, mining, and agroforestry practices competing against one another for arable land, impacting the local food system and contributing to water resource degradation.

Nepal’s agriculture sector is facing various challenges including, amongst others, inadequate infrastructures, investment, labor shortage, climate-induced changes, and weak agriculture governance mechanisms. With the increase in migration trends among males, the ‘left behinds’ in the mid-hills of Nepal, are mostly women, middle-aged men, and the elderly. Due to the massive decline in the labor force, arable land is left fallow, ultimately affecting food security.

The increase in agriculture production to meet the food demand of growing human population from a limited availability of arable land with low environmental footprints and preserving natural resources (soil, water and air) simultaneously are major challenges in South Asia. The situation is further complicated by the climate change, which will further lower the food production, compounding the challenge of meeting food demand.

National Land Coalitions (NLCs) work towards the recognition, defence, protection and redistribution of land rights at national level. They build upon frameworks on land tenure developed and agreed by different regional and intergovernmental institutions. Platforms are at the heart of protecting and preserving community and customary lands which constitute the major category of landholding in Africa.

As global temperatures continue to increase and human activities continue to expand, many countries and regions are witnessing the consequences of global climate change. Mongolia, a nomadic and picturesque landlocked country, has battled with ongoing desertification, recurring droughts, and increasingly frequent sandstorms in recent decades. Here we review the abrupt changes in the climate regime of Mongolia over the recent few decades, by focusing on atmospheric events, land degradation and desertification issues, and the resulted sandstorms.

After the political change in Nepal of 1951, leapfrog land policy improvements have been recorded, however, the land reform initiatives have been short of full success. Despite a land administration system based on cadaster and land registries in place, 25% of the arable land with an estimated 10 million spatial units on the ground are informally occupied and are off-register. Recently, a strong political will has emerged to ensure land rights for all.