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This briefing synthesises the IPCC SREX report's findings on climate extremes and the agriculture sector. It highlights that disaster risk is increasing due to higher exposure and vulnerability, particularly in developing countries. Key threats include intensified droughts, heatwaves, and flooding, which cause significant economic losses and threaten food security. The document advocates for 'climate-smart' agriculture, improved disaster risk management, and a combination of short-term coping strategies and long-term structural adaptations to build resilience.

This briefing by Johan Rockström argues for a 'new green revolution' in agriculture to simultaneously address immediate poverty and long-term climate risks. The author proposes shifting focus from large-scale irrigation to small-scale rainfed agriculture and water harvesting, particularly in tropical regions, to increase food production and turn agriculture into a carbon sink.