Impacts of climate change on food system security and sustainability in Bangladesh

Abstract

Climate change poses a significant threat to the security and sustainability of global food systems, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Bangladesh. This paper comprehensively reviews the impact of climate change on food system security and sustainability in Bangladesh. Specifically, it examines the country's food system and, the climatic conditions endangering food systems and associated vulnerabilities. A systematic review methodology was adopted to select the relevant literature, based on predefined inclusion criteria and research questions. To mitigate selection bias, the research team independently screened and evaluated the articles for inclusion in the review process. Our review reveals increasing trends in temperature fluctuations and irregular rainfall occurrences, posing significant challenges in terms of crop management and planning. The occurrence of floods due to extreme rainfall and sea-level rise exacerbates food insecurity in affected areas. Additionally, moderate to severe droughts have been identified in some regions. The paper also evaluates the effectiveness of current adaptation initiatives and the degree of integration among relevant stakeholders. Through this analysis, the paper emphasizes the importance of local climate-change adaptation strategies and stakeholder collaboration in mitigating the adverse impacts of climate-change on food system security. HIGHLIGHTS The study identifies the climate-change challenges to Bangladesh's fragile food system.; Economic losses and rice production decline are identified due to climate change.; Emphasis on local adaptation initiatives to build resilience among farmers.; Recognition of challenges in existing adaptation efforts.; Call for government-led scaling-up of adaptation programs to enhance food system security and sustainability.;

Keywords

• adaptation and mitigation strategies
• agriculture
• climate change policy
• food insecurity
• food system vulnerabilities