Climate Change: The Fight for Asia's Future

Development Asia aims to make a significant contribution to raising awareness and understanding of the issues that matter most today. It is not an academic journal; nor is it a publication that presents the views of the Asian Development Bank. It is intended as a forum for debate and discussion, reflecting different views of the most topical and complex development issues in the region. This launch issue focuses on four such issues: climate change, biofuels, genetically modified foods, and food security. The cover story features a candid interview with Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who shares his views on the impact of climate change and the role of development institutions in addressing the problem. In guest columns, two pre-eminent experts on the subject suggest ways of dealing with climate change. Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, says global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must satisfy the principles of effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. Emil Salim, adviser to the Indonesian president, calls for a sustainable development model for Asia that eradicates poverty while fighting climate change. This issue also asks whether biofuels are the panacea for the world's energy problems or if they pose a threat to longer-term environmental sustainability. It looks at genetically modified foods and whether they really hold the key to eradicating global hunger. It likewise considers the impact of soaring food prices on the poor and the need for agricultural reforms.