COP18 (4/12/12) – Noel Oettle, Project Manager: Rural Resource Management at the Environmental Monitoring Group, describes his organisation’s work assisting farmers in the west of South Africa to adapt to climate change.

Oettle explains that varying conditions and more frequent extreme weather events are making life very difficult for farmers in South Africa and around the world.

Oettle explains that the Environmental Monitoring group both looks to link farmers with the scientists that can help them understand and tackle the challenges they face and looks to increase their access to world markets.

Oettle asserts that adaptation is all about enhancing the agency of individuals to act. He states that the sharing of experience and expertise between farmers, and solidarity between farmers, has a regional and even global impact.

Oettle finishes by emphasising the urgency of securing international agreements to finance climate change adaptation. He laments that fossil fuel subsidies are still of a greater magnitude than the finance available for adaptation to climate change.