title: Global climate change adaptation priorities for biodiversity and food security.
abstract: International policy is placing increasing emphasis on adaptation to climate change, including the allocation of new funds to assist adaptation efforts. Climate change adaptation funding may be most effective where it meets integrated goals, but global geographic priorities based on multiple development and ecological criteria are not well characterized. Here we show that human and natural adaptation needs related to maintaining agricultural productivity and ecosystem integrity intersect in ten major areas globally, providing a coherent set of international priorities for adaptation funding. An additional seven regional areas are identified as worthy of additional study. The priority areas are locations where changes in crop suitability affecting impoverished farmers intersect with changes in ranges of restricted-range species. Agreement among multiple climate models and emissions scenarios suggests that these priorities are robust. Adaptation funding directed to these areas could simultaneously address multiple international policy goals, including poverty reduction, protecting agricultural production and safeguarding ecosystem services.
authors.affiliation: The Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Science and Oceans, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA. Lhannah@conservation.org
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hannah
authors.forename: Makihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hole
authors.forename: Changwan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Stuart H M
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Butchart
authors.forename: A Townsend
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Patrick R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Roehrdanz
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D044822:Biodiversity; D057231:Climate Change; D005523:Food Supply; D013045:Species Specificity