CLIMATE CHANGE INDUCED EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND FOOD SECURITY

Abstract

Climate change has come to be recognized as one of the key issues affecting food security globally in recent times, especially in the context of the exacerbation of extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts, floods, and cyclones. These extreme events affect agricultural productivity, the quantity of food produced, the health of animals, and the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture, thereby affecting the food security status of nations in terms of availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. Studies have shown that even the slightest rise in the average temperature of the earth leads to the reduction of the quantity of staple foods like wheat, maize, rice, and soybean, with yields falling by 3-7% for every 1°C rise in the average earth temperature. Heat waves and rainfall variability affect the health of animals, thereby reducing the quantity of milk and meat produced, as well as the mortality rate of animals. Flooding and rainfall variability affect the quantity of food produced, while marine heat waves reduce the quantity of fish produced. Moreover, regional studies suggest that South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America are the vulnerable regions, and the loss in the crop yield is estimated to vary between 5 and 60%, depending on the crop and the local climatic conditions. Though the adaptation techniques are effective, there are limitations in the institutional, technological, and socio-economic limitations in the mitigation and adaptation techniques. However, this review highlights the importance of addressing the mitigation and adaptation techniques in a manner that would help to strengthen the agricultural sector, addressing the concerns of food security in a changing climate. This is a critical issue that needs to be understood by the policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders who wish to address the concerns of food security in a changing climate.