Food Security will be the biggest victim of climate change

“The food-grains production in India will decrease by 40% in next 20 years”, said eminent environmentalist Asit Das.

According to Das, who is a fellow at the Centre for the study of Developing Societies (CSDS), with global warming triggering climate change, the temperatures will go to extremes which will decrease the food-grains production drastically. This decrease in productivity will result in unavailability of food coupled with degradation the quality of food.

According to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, “By 2050, the risk of hunger is projected to increase by 10 – 20 %, and child malnutrition is anticipated to be 20 % higher compared to a no-climate change scenario.”

Indian farmers, who mostly depend on rain, are facing the threat of climate change with the destruction of crops from unseasonal rains.  In 2009, 254 districts of 10 states in India were affected by drought. The recent price rise in food products is also blamed on un-periodic rains which led to insufficient crop production. These un-periodic rains confuse farmers in decideing the best time to sow. Many farmers whose crops were destroyed choose either to commit suicide or to quit agriculture and move to cities for other occupations.

This summer’s record breaking heat in Russia created almost 600 wildfires which destroyed nearly one-third of country`s buckwheat crop.

In today`s world of globalization, countries are so much dependent on each other for food supplies that a crop loss in Russia which forced it to ban exports resulted in food riots in Mozambique and a drought in India caused panic in Philippines.

In last few months, record breaking heat in Russia and major floods in Pakistan, Brazil, Australia and Sri-Lanka indicates the climate change is one of the most serious threats to our planet.

The major cause of this climate change is said to be global warming caused by the emissions of greenhouse gases like Carbon di oxide and methane. The Carbon di oxide emissions from vehicular pollution and methane emissions from cattle also result in depletion of ozone layer which acts as a shield against ultra violet rays.

Das blamed government of doing nothing to safe environment, “They want only 9% GDP growth, they are not concerned with environment” referring to the clearance given to POSCO project and Jaitapur nuclear park project by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.