SciDev.Net

More efforts are needed to hold the leaders of the G8 nations to commitments made at their annual summit meetings.

Effective adaptation strategies will require reliable scientific data both on the nature of climate change and on its potential impact.

At its global summit next week the G8 needs to build on the work of its predecessors, putting science and technology back at the heart of the international aid agenda.

Despite the apparent success of the latest international negotiations on climate change, new approaches to reaching agreement on reducing carbon emissions in an equitable way are needed more than ever.

Last week's report of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment provides a timely reminder of the plight facing the global environment. But its scare tactics could alienate those whose support is needed to reverse current trends.

The role of climate change — even if only partial — in helping to trigger the current floods of Bangladesh increases the moral duty of rich nations to provide assistance. The issue is all the more pressing as the frequency of flooding is likely to increase in the future.