Discuss the consequences of climate change on food security in tropical countries

Introduction

• Climate Change – Long-term shifts (दीर्घकालिक बदलाव) in temperatures and weather patterns (मौसम चक्र)

• Reasons – Natural and Anthropogenic (प्राकृतिक और मानवजनित)

• Tropical Countries (उष्णकटिबंधीय देश) – nations horizontally bordered (क्षैतिज रूप से सीमाबद्ध) by the Tropic of Cancer to the north and the Tropic of Capricorn to the south.

Body

Giving the context why it has a more profound impact (गहन प्रभाव) on tropical countries:

• due to their heavy dependence on agriculture
• limited adaptive capacity (सीमित अनुकुलन क्षमता)
• often fragile ecosystems (नाजुक पारिस्थितिकी)

Heavily dependent on livelihood (आजीविका) and food supply (खाद्य आपूर्ति):

According to a report by the World Bank – About 80% of the global population most at risk from crop failures and hunger from climate change are in Sub-Saharan Africa (उपसाहारा अफ्रीका क्षेत्र), South Asia, and Southeast Asia, where farming families are disproportionately (विषमतापूर्वक) poor and vulnerable.

Consequences (परिणाम):

• Availability (उपलब्धता)

  1. Reduced Production
  2. Changes in land suitability (भूमि उपयुक्तता)
  3. Change in precipitation patterns (वर्षा पैटर्न) affecting rain-fed areas
  4. Longer growing seasons

• Access (पहुँच)

  • Low Yield -> Higher Food prices
  • Loss of income due to high damages

• Stability (स्थिरता)

  • Extreme events (अत्यधिक घटनाएं) -> Instability in supply

• Utilization (उपयोग)

  1. Increased malnutrition (कुपोषण)
  2. Impact on food safety due to pests and water pollution

“IPCC predicted that the poorest countries in the tropical regions would be hit the hardest with a threat to their food security.”

According to the World Food Programme, the countries most affected by climate change are:

• South Sudan, Sudan, Chad, and Somalia – Floods and Droughts

• Madagascar – Cyclones, Droughts & Floods

• Pakistan – Floods

• Sahel – Wildfires

• Higher temperature -> Increased moisture (आर्द्रता) stress and drought (सूखा) -> crop damage and lesser production

• Longer growing season + high temp -> more demand for water -> more drought

• More GHG emissions -> more CO2 in the atmosphere -> better plant water-use efficiency and rates of photosynthesis -> better crop yield but weeds grow faster.

• Lesser crop productivity + increasing population => demand for food => demand for more cultivable land => deforestation => loss of biodiversity

• Climate Change + Vulnerable Families = Widespread Hunger

• Sea-level rise + coastal flooding due to cyclones -> coastal land erosion + sea water intrusion -> salinization + contamination of freshwater for drinking and irrigation.

• More floods, droughts, and heat waves => crop failure + famine + water crisis.

Conclusion

We can conclude by suggesting some ways to tackle climate change and also adaptability for our agriculture for a sustainable future.

• Climate-resilient crop varieties (जलवायु-सहनशील फसलों की किस्में)
• Implement coastal protection measures, such as mangrove restoration and seawalls.
• Establish food stabilization mechanisms (खाद्य स्थिरीकरण तंत्र की स्थापना)
• International cooperation (अंतरराष्ट्रीय सहयोग) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming
• And finally, we can link with SDGs like SDG-2 Zero Hunger.