Introduction

Global environmental problems such as climate change, tropical deforestation, loss of biodiversity and desertification are receiving serious attention of all stakeholders including scientists, citizens and policymakers. Interestingly, all these environmental issues are linked to land-use systems. Climate change and its manifestations, particularly rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and sea level rise (IPCC 2007a), are of global environmental concern and have the potential to impact most natural ecosystems (such as forests, grasslands and wetlands) and socioeconomic systems (such as food production, fisheries and coastal settlements) in all countries. Under extreme conditions, the impacts are likely to be catastrophic to human survival and may lead to irreversible loss of natural ecosystems. Climate change in the long term is projected to adversely affect supply of fresh water, production of food and forest products and ultimately economic development of both industrialized and developing countries (IPCC 2007b).