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Climate change has posed challenges in all aspects to the current human society, and the impact on the health and food security is an important topic of concern for many people. On 2016 August 1, NTU Risk Society and Policy Research Center held a discussion forum at NTU Social Science College on “the Impact of Climate Change on Health and Food Security” under the Climate Change Adaptation Series. The event was first opened by the Director of Risk Society and Policy Research Center, Kuei-Tien Chou, and then divided into two sessions. The first session explored the topic of climate change adaptation and health, chaired by professor Daigee Shaw of the Institute of Economic Research, Academia Sinica, associate professor Yu-Chun Wang from Department of Environmental Engineering of Chung Yuan University was invited to give introduction, and the discussion was also joined by Director Ding-Ping Liu from Epidemic Intelligence Center of Center for Disease Control. The second session discussed climate change adaptation and food security, chaired by professor Bao-Ji Chen from NTU Department of Animal Science and Technology, also the former Director of Council of Agriculture; professor Huu-Sheng Lur from NTU Department of Agronomy gave an introductory note, and Professor Guo-Tien Lee from NTU Department of Environmental Biology and Fisheries Science, Bing Chang from Council of Agriculture, Hsueh-Shih Lin the Director of Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station joined the forum on three extension areas respectively--fishery, forestry and crop improvement.

Climate Change and Health: Social Vulnerability

Professor Yu-Chun Wang said that climate change related research must not stop at the accumulation of theory, more importantly; it must be the accumulation of practical experience. On the other hand, the solutions to the problems associated with people must be found in societies. The range and depth of the damages of the disasters caused by climate change should be evaluated, in order to seek further response strategies. Different social structures and demographics may influence the resilience of a society to climate change in a direct or indirect way. Therefore, finding out the vulnerability of each society will give us better understandings of the aspects that need strengthening and protection.

Environmental vulnerability and high-risk groups

For example, socially vulnerable groups are likely to be the most affected by climate change. For low-income households, single-occupants and elderly people aged 65 or above, the nation should provide more appropriate care and resettlement, so as to enhance the overall society's ability to adapt to climate change. Director Ding-Ping Liu added that climate change poses a threat to mankind at a faster speed than imagined, and that climate change is not a false perception, with its empirical evidence available.

Climate Change and Food Security: Food Crisis in Taiwan?

In the opening of the second session, Prof. Bao-Ji CHen pointed out that the impact of climate change on human beings was often underestimated, thus negating the prevention of natural disasters. The crises of food security under climate change are directly reflected in the disorder of water resources distribution and drought. Without plenty of water resources, agricultural production will encounter major difficulties, and famine crisis is highlighted. Extreme weather is also a threat to the fishery; climate change has led fish to change behaviors. Some of the species which originally should be rich in certain seasons are now no longer fertile as the past. From the above, Taiwan is likely to face the food crisis, such possibility is coming from the extreme climate.

The Risks and Importance of Food Security

Professor Huu-Sheng Lur pointed out that bio-industry (such as agriculture, fisheries) is facing the threat from climate extremism on the front, and the lower the agricultural technology a country has, the lower its ability to adapt. The world's food supply and demand chain ties together the destiny of the whole human race. For example, Taiwan is highly dependent on wheat imports. However, the low productivity of wheat, an agricultural crisis caused by extreme climate on the other side of the world, has now, crossing the ocean, affected the food demand from Taiwanese people. If the food crisis continues to deteriorate, the human diet structuremust change. However, when we move towards less-oil, less-meat dietary patterns, alternative sources of protein become another problem.

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and crop improvement

At the end of the event, we invited Professor Guo-Tien Lee, representative of the fishing industry, Bing Chang, forestry representative, as well as Hsueh-Shih Lin, representative of crop improvement, to give, from their professional point of view, detailed explanation and provoke full discussion on extended fields of food issues--agriculture, forestry, and fisheries respectively. Many topics that had been overlooked in the past, as well as more professional knowledge, were conveyed more clearly through this forum, giving audiences clearer understanding of the current challenges facing Taiwan's society, a more comprehensive ecological challenge. These challenges include the impact of marine ecology on fisheries, the impact of forests on carbon sequestration, how to reach balance between ecological system and land use, and, returning to the topic of crop improvement, how to maintain good crop varieties and quality control, all of which are important issues. Through discussing these questions, we have a better understanding of climate change.

Finally, at the end of the two sessions, the audience actively raised questions and exchanged views. Some professional knowledge was communicated and learned via this forum. With a nice exchange of views, this event came to an end. This echoes what Director Kuei-Tien Chou emphasized in the opening--the communication, dialogue and delivery of knowledge. We look forward to more people concerned about climate change in the future continuing into the discussion of climate change.