Drought-hit Honduras needs new approach to tackle extreme weather: U.N. envoyHonduras must develop a long term approach to combat the impact of drought exacerbated by climate change and put the poorest and most vulnerable at the center of government initiatives and funding, a U.N. special envoy said. "The impacts are aggravated and exacerbated by climate change," said Mary Robinson, U.N. special envoy for El Nino and climate change, by telephone from Honduras at the start of a visit to the Central American nation. Honduras is highly vulnerable to extreme weather linked to climate change like hurricanes, floods and drought, while unequal access to land, deforestation and soil degradation has exacerbated the impact of El Nino on rural areas, experts say. The prolonged drought in Honduras has slashed bean and maize harvests by up to 90 percent in some areas, triggering higher food prices. RESILIENCEAround a quarter of all young children in Honduras aged between six months to two-and-a-half years suffer from chronic malnutrition, WFP figures show.

Source: VietNamNet News July 28, 2016 15:56 UTC