Abstract:
Agriculture is generally considered one of the most vulnerable sectors with regard to the effects of climate change, due to its sensitivity to climatic factors and dependence on natural resources such as soils and water. Other sectors that depend on primary production and are directly relevant to rural livelihoods, such as forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, are also likely to be seriously impacted. Rural development is not only about primary sector activities, but it is obviously highly dependent on them. Processing industries, another key element of rural development, depend on climate-sensitive primary resources as well as the availability of infrastructure services. Tertiary sector activities, in turn, depend on the strength of the primary and secondary sectors, as well as the capacity of societies to sustain the functioning of essential infrastructure.