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Synopsis Climatic conditions are of extraordinary importance for the existence of mankind, and the risks of climate change have long been recognised. Today, human activity is altering entire global systems, such as the atmosphere and the oceans, at an unprecedented rate. Climate change has become an important additional stress on the ecosystem which is already affected by increasing resource demands, unsustainable management practices and pollution, which in many cases may be equal to or greater than those of climate change. Human health, ecological systems and socio-economic sectors, all of which are vital to sustainable development, are sensitive to changes in climate. This volume is intended to serve as a comprehensive resource for understanding global climate change, and its potential impacts on global ecosystem and its inhabitants. It is hoped that this book will encourage closer links and shared understanding among different academic disciplines so that they might work together more effectively to address the common problem of global change. It will also help in the formation of an individual opinion concerning the necessity of climate protection.