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How does Climate Change affect Nutrition Security? Case of Africa

Climate Change and Nutrition security

Mahouli Elvire GOUBALAN

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Introduction

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Conclusion

ReferencesPART2: The Climate

Change effects on

Nutrition security in

Africa

PART1: Background

on Malnutrition and

Nutrition Security

Introduction

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Strong evidence of the changes of the Earth’s

climate:

• Increasing of average global air and ocean

temperatures,

• rising average global sea levels

Climate change = Major threat for the coming decades

particularly in Africa (weak adaptive capacity due to

endemic poverty, lack of infrastructure and technology and

complex disasters and conflicts (Boko et al., 2007))

• Many researchers effects of this phenomenon on natural

disasters, ecosystems, coastal communities, etc.

• Food and nutrition climate

Importance to investigate the link between nutrition

security and climate change

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To understand the concepts related to

nutrition security and climate change

To identify effects of climate change

on nutrition security and solutions to

mitigate these effects

Objectives

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LEVEL 2

LEVEL 1

PART1:Background

Definition of key terms

Hunger and undernutrition in Africa

Part 1: Background

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Definition of key

terms

Climate change

Nutrition

Malnutrition

Food security Nutrition

security

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Terms Definition Source Illustration

Climate change

Any change in climate over time due to natural processes or as a result of human activity

IPCC &UNFCCC definitions

Nutrition

The sum total of the processes involved in the taking in and the utilization of food substances by which growth, repair and maintenance of the body are accomplished

http://heathguidance.org

Malnutrition

Poor nutrition due to an insufficient balanced diet, faulty digestion or poor utilization of foods. It can occur when an individual is getting excessive nutrients as well.

http://pt.slideshare.net

Food security

A household is food secure if it can reliably gain access to food in sufficient quantity and quality for all household members to enjoy a healthy and active life

ACF, 2004

Nutrition security

Nutrition security exists when food security is coupled with a sanitary environment, adequate health services, and proper care and feeding practices to ensure a healthy life for all household members

ACF, 2004

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The girls above are the same

age

Stunting: Shortness-for-age; an indicator of growth retardation

Child who has lost substantial

weight

Wasting: thin for height

Underweight: underweight for

age

Combination of wasting and

stunting

Marasmus

Kwashiorkor

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Statistics about Hunger and undernutrition in Africa

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Between 1990 and 2007:

an increase of 22 % of

food insecure people in

Africa (IFPRI, 2010)

1 out of 4 africans is undernourished

Africa region with the

most severe problems of

hunger and undernutrition

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According to UNICEF (2009), Africa has

• 50% of global burden of wasting

• 21 % of the global burden of underweight

• 40 % of the global burden of stunting

In Africa,

• 40% of children are vitamin A deficient

• 68% suffer from anemia

Undernutrition = major risk factor of 28% of

children mortality (some 2.9 million deaths annually)

Equivalence of ten busses of

children crashing every

day

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Three levelsThree important

factors:• Food:

Availability, access, utilization

• Health: disease, environment, health facilities

• Care and feeding practices: non respect of good practices of feeding

What causes malnutrition?

Conceptual framework of causes of malnutrition (UNICEF, 1991; Black et al.

2008)

Effects on food and agriculture

Effects on undernutrition

Effects on child care and feeding practices

Effects on health

PART 2: EFFECTs of climate

change (Predicated Effects)

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Climate Change disasters in AfricaClimate change is contributing to more extreme weather events as:• Droughts• Flooding• Storms

These climate events Food productionFeeding practicesDisease patterns..............

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Analytical framework of effects of climate change on nutrition (Tirado et al.,2011)

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Effects of climate change on food and agriculture

Crop failure, loss of livestock and reduced

availability of fisheries and forest

products

Reduction of employment and

income, diminution of poor people‘s

purchasing power

Abandon of some foods and change of people’s preferences

Difficulty to maintain food supply and to

access constantly to food

Increase of food prices and

decrease of food accessibility

Decrease of food

stability

Decrease of agricultural production

Climate change (changes in

temperature, rainfall, etc.)

Agriculture

50% of reduction in crop yield by

2020 (IPCC, 2007)

(NOAA, 2011; Boko et al., 2007)

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• Augmentation of number of undernourished children (IFPRI, 2010)

• In Kenya and Ethiopia:

Children aged five or less

born during a drought are

respectively 36 and 50 %

more likely to be

malnourished that children

not born during a drought

(Watkins K., 2007)

• In Niger: Children aged two

or less born in a drought

year were 72 % more likely

to be stunted (Watkins K.,

2007)

Effects of climate change on undernutrition

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Effects of climate change on child care and feeding practices

Climate change (drought,

desertification)

Strain on the workload of women (Increasing of

the domestic care responsibilities)

Lack of time for necessary caring

practices

Augmentation of the risk of the malnutrition

Reduction abilities to engage in

income-generating activities

During periods of

drought, men leave the

women alone to look after

their children, work in the fields, tend

the herds and manage the

home (Crahay et al, 2010)

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Effects of climate change on health

Climate change

Increasing of the frequency of floods

and storms

Increasing of the number of people

suffering from death, injury, diseases

Alteration of the ecology of some

diseases : malaria, cholera, etc.

Increasing of the frequency of

droughtMicronutrient

deficiencies and undernutrition

Diminishing dietary diversity

According to the Lancet, climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century (Costello et al, 2009)

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Approaches to improve nutrition security in the context of climate change• A twin-track approach to address the impacts of

climate change on food and nutrition security

(Tirado et al.,2011)Direct and immediate nutrition

interventions, food assistance

Broader and longer-term

approach that acts to counter the drivers of undernutrition

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Key Gaps •Little research on real impacts of climate change on nutrition•International literature-extrapolated data•As critical research gaps (Tirado et al.,2011) :

• Comprehensive, multi-sectoral analyses of the impacts of climate change on nutrition and nutrition security

• highlighting the existing coping mechanisms and the adaptation options

• Identifying and mapping geographical zones particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change on nutrition

• Identifying, validating and budgeting the set of interventions required to protect nutrition from climate-related risks.

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Hunger and malnutrition are widespread in Africa

Climate change and its effects exacerbate hunger and

undernutrition and

undermine current efforts to address food and nutrition

insecurity

To reduce these effects, there is not yet specific strategies but

it is suggested to enhance the short term and long term

interventions

Conclusion

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• Boko, M., I. Niang, A. Nyong, C. Vogel, A. Githeko, M. Medany, B. Osman-Elasha, R. Tabo

and P.Yanda, 2007: Africa. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J.

van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, 433-

467.

• Crahay P., Mitchell A., Gomez A, Israël A-D, Salpeteur C., Mattinen H., Deret H., Lapegue

J., Grosjean L., Ait Aissa M., Brown R., Hauenstein Swan S., Pietzsch S. and Dufour C.,

2010. The Threats of Climate Change on Undernutrition — A Neglected Issue That

Requires Further Analysis And Urgent Actions, in: UNSCN, 2010. SCN News 38 – Climate

Change: Food and Nutrition Security Implications. Lavenham Press, United Kingdom.

• Costello A, Abbas M, Allen A, et al. (2009) Managing the health effects of climate

change. Lancet 373: 1693-733.

• http://pt.slideshare.net/Indian-CAG/mindshapers-25954836#btnNext (09/11/2013)

• http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/9975/1/What-Is-the-Definition-of-Nutrition.html

(09/11/2013)

• IFPRI (2010). Food security, farming and climate change to 2050. Scenarios, results,

policy options. Available at

www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/climatemonograph_advance.pdf

References

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• IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, Working Group I, Glossary of Terms: http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/Report/AR4WG1_Print_Annexes.pdf.

• IPCC. 2007. Climate Change 2007 Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC. Cambridge. UK. Cambridge University Press.

• NOAA, 2007: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States Department of Commerce. Report on Climate Change. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/climate/Climatechange.pdf

• Tirado, M.C., Crahay, P., Hunnes, D., Cohen, M., Denton, F. , Lartey, A. F 2011.

Climate change and nutrition in Africa With a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. 24p

• Watkins K. Human Development Report 2007/2008. Fighting climate change:

Human solidarity in a divided world. Human Development. 2007. • UNFCCC Article 1, Definitions:

http://unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/background/items/1349.php. • UNICEF (2009). Tracking progress on child and maternal nutrition. A survival and

development priority. Available at http://www.unicef.pt/docs/Progress_on_Child_and_Maternal_Nutrition_EN_110309.pdf

References

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