Climate Change and Food Security: Nepal Perspective

Type Journal Article - Climate Change
Title Climate Change and Food Security: Nepal Perspective
Author(s)
Volume 1
Issue 2
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2015
Page numbers 105-109
URL http://www.discovery.org.in/climate_change/current_issue/v1/n2/A010207.pdf
Abstract
Global warming induced heat waves, drought, and flooding constitute a global food security emergency for us all today. Negative impacts of climate change on crop and terrestrial food production have been more common than positive impacts. Climate change is posing a threat on present and future food security in low income countries. But, the actual effect of the climate change on food security is not known. Climate change will affect all four dimensions of food security, namely food availability, access to food, stability of food supplies, and food utilization. The percent of the emission of greenhouse gases that are held responsible for the climate change is very negligible in Nepal which is only about 0.025% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. However, Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Increase in temperature cause more damage on agricultural sectors in terai region and will be more favorable to agriculture in the hills and mountains of Nepal. Number of food deficient population has increased remarkably in the recent decades due to various reasons. Global predictions show slight increase in the food production with respect to estimated climate change but our food production which is based on the rain fed depending on the weather pattern, even small and short period weather extremities will badly effect the production and supply.Nepal being a least developed country, it is moving towards vulnerable situation due to climate change. As it is known, its effects cannot be completely controlled but effective planning and change in human habit towards a low carbon economy can slower down possible disasters.