The connection between Climate Change, Extreme Weather and Hunger

A weather extreme is a weather event that deviates significantly from the local average, meaning that it is a rarity for the place where the event occurs. For instance, temperatures normal at the equator would be considered as a heat wave if they occurred at the North Pole.

Extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods and storms have always existed in world history. But the climate is changing significantly and steadily. As a result, in recent times, number and intensity of extreme weather events is increasing worldwide, directly and negatively impacting the food security of many people.

How climate change leads to extreme weather events?

Even a small global average temperature increase can have a major impact on factors that influence our weather.

High temperatures lead to increased water evaporation from land, plants and water bodies, directly affecting the frequency and intensity of droughts.

A warmer atmosphere can potentially hold more water vapor, thus increasing the risk of extreme precipitation.

Temperature changes also lead to irregularities in the atmospheric circulation of precipitation, causing increased droughts in certain parts of the world.

Studies indicate that climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events. The number of extreme weather events such as storms, droughts, fires and floods has doubled since the early 1990s. Consequentially, and as stated by The Global Report on Food Crises in 2021 about 23.5 million people in 8 countries faced food shortage due to climate events.

Some common weather changes are already being felt and are easily identifiable in day-to-day life. For instance, cold nights have decreased worldwide, while warm nights have increased. New summer heat records have become the norm in Central Europe where I live. Droughts, floods, intense storms, long heat waves and forest fires have also increased and they are expected to continue to do so.

How extreme weather causes hunger?

Increasing number of extreme weather events associated threaten food insecurity and contribute to global hunger.

Heat waves, heavy rains, droughts and floods impact food production. The yields of important crops fail, which subsequently also leads to livestock starving. This not only drives many people into hunger and poverty.

Extreme weather events also endanger access to food. When harvests fail and goods become scarcer, food prices skyrocket. This hits the poorest in particular, who are dependent on stable food prices. They can no longer feed themselves adequately and have to suffer from hunger.

In addition to harvest losses, extreme weather has a negative impact on the quality and safety of food. Studies show that the concentration of certain micronutrients in plants cannot be sufficient.

In addition, if the rainfall rate is too high, toxic mold forms on the field plants, which can delay the growth of children.

Conclusion

The consequences of increasing weather extremes are hardest hitting for countries with the fewest resources to counter the threat of hunger in particular. This increases the likelihood of conflict, migration and political instability, which in turn are co-factors of hunger, thus leading to a vicious cycle. The world needs to act sustainably with ambitious approaches and measures to tackle climate-related challenges to counteract the consequential hunger and malnutrition.

Reference:

https://www.wfp.org/publications/global-report-food-crises-2022