Lecture Notes: Global Challenges in Food Security and Climate Change

Overview

• The lecture discusses severe malnutrition issues in the Sahel, particularly in Western Chad and Burkina Faso.
• It also covers the existential threat faced by low-lying islands in the South Pacific, specifically Kiribati, due to climate change and rising sea levels.

Malnutrition in the Sahel

• Hassan's Case in Mau, Western Chad

  • 2-year-old child suffering from severe malnutrition.
  • Limited number of children at the therapeutic feeding center.
  • Aid agencies like the World Food Program (WFP) are concerned.

• Supplementary Feeding Center in Tukuli

  • 400 mothers and children visit for food distribution by WFP.
  • High rates of severe malnutrition; WHO considers 15% emergency, here it's around 26%.
  • Specific cases: Fatima, Kubra, and Secharis need hospital care.

• Challenges for Families

  • Suleiman Mahomet's family struggles for survival.
  • Subsistence farming; droughts lead to poor harvests.
  • Lack of infrastructure: roads, power, running water.

• Nomadic Movements and Climate Effects

  • Nomads move south due to advancing desert and drought.
  • Feeding centers aid severely malnourished children, but early life stages are critical.
  • WFP plays a crucial role in sustaining families.

Threat to Kiribati Due to Climate Change

• Rising Sea Levels

  • Islands like Aroray may disappear in 30-50 years due to climate change.
  • Residents like Bob Sorum build seawalls; many seek to move inland.

• Government's Response

  • President Anote Tong emphasizes maintaining dignity despite potential loss of homeland.
  • Plan to develop islands to help residents adapt and survive.

• Challenges in Development

  • International reluctance to invest in potentially disappearing islands.
  • FAO's involvement in helping with agricultural development and food security.
  • Developing crop varieties tolerant to rising temperatures and salty conditions.

• Global Responsibility

  • Emphasis on holding nations accountable for their role in climate change.

Food Security Efforts in Burkina Faso

• Current Challenges

  • High risk of hunger due to meager harvests and expensive inputs.
  • Fatima Tanabayogo's struggle to provide for a large family.

• FAO and EU Initiatives

  • Aimed at boosting production and improving food security since June 2009.
  • Focus on training farmers, distributing inputs, and supplying improved seeds.

• Goals and Benefits

  • Establishing sustainable seed multiplication and certification systems.
  • Providing better seeds to vulnerable households for improved harvests.
  • Benefits to seed producers in irrigated areas, enhancing national food security.

Summary

• The lecture highlights critical global issues like malnutrition in the Sahel and climate threats to islands.
• Efforts by international organizations to address these challenges are crucial yet face obstacles.
• There is a pressing need for global accountability and support in combating these crises.