Nutrition Security in the Context of Climate Change : a Review

摘要

In the present changing climate condition, nutrition security, which exists when food security is combined with a sanitary environment, adequate health services, and proper care and feeding practices to ensure a healthy life for all household members,is of great importance. The four fundamental components of food security, which is in turn a component of nutrition security, include food availability, food accessibility, food utilization and food systems stability; various factors contribute directlyor indirectly in ensuring these components and the nutrition security as a whole. On the other hand, climate change, determined by long-term changes in average weather conditions, all changes in the climate system, including the drivers of change, the changes themselves and their effects, and human-induced changes in the climate system, has been responsible for about 0.6° C rise in ambient temperature during the 21st century. An attempt, in this backdrop, has been made to review the impacts of climatechange on nutrition security issues and the existing mechanisms, strategies, and policies to address them. The pathways through which climate change is leading towards food security threat have been identified and the mechanisms of management strategieshave been analyzed. It has been found that climate extreme, variability and changes are directly impacting food security, livelihoods, household food access and many socioeconomic factors that contribute food security. In recent times, although nutrition sensitive adaptation measures are being implemented, there exists a visible gap between research and practice, knowing-doing or science-policy. Coherence of both adaptation and mitigation approaches is required to face the nutritional security challenge posed by climate change. It may be concluded that climate change phenomenon has direct impacts on nutrition security resulting into under-nutrition, one of the most serious but least addressed public health challenge. An integrated multi sectorial approach of direct climate-smart nutrition interventions coupled with nutrition sensitive policy formulation and implementation can address the threats to food and nutrition security in the present changing environment.