IMPROVING CROP PRODUCTION IN THE ARID MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1      Background of the Study
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007), views climate change as statistically significant variation in either mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer). Climate change maybe due to natural processes, external forces or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land-use. There have been growing awareness that the  climate is changing at an alarming rate and the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) affirms that climate change is no longer in doubt but is now unequivocally apparent based on evidence from scientific observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures (IPCC, 2007). Although extreme violent weather has occurred throughout history, recent upsurge in climate related hazards is confirming the argument for global warming and climate change (McGuire, Macon and Kilburn, 2002; Odjugo and Ikhuoria, 2003; Nwafor, 2006).