Multidimensional Food Security Nexus in Drylands under the Slow Onset Effects of Climate Change

• Published in: Land (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 12; p. 1350
• Main Authors: Stavi, Ilan, Paschalidou, Anastasia, Kyriazopoulos, Apostolos P., Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Rares, Siad, Si Mokrane, Suska-Malawska, Malgorzata, Savic, Dragisa, Roque de Pinho, Joana, Thalheimer, Lisa, Williams, David Samuel, Hashimshony-Yaffe, Nurit, van der Geest, Kees, Cordovil, Claudia M. d. S., Ficko, Andrej
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-12-2021
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Arid lands; Arid regions; Arid zones; Biodiversity; Biodiversity loss; Biofuels; Climate change; Climate effects; climatic change; Contamination; Deforestation; Desertification; Economic development; Economic growth; Economics; Ecosystem degradation; Energy; Energy security; Environmental security; Floods; Food contamination; Food security; Human populations; Hydroelectric plants; Hydroelectric power; Infectious diseases; Land degradation; Land use; land-use and management; Local economy; loss and damage; Natural resources; natural vs. anthropogenic factors; Political factors; population growth and urbanization; Power plants; Rangelands; slow onset events; Soil erosion; Urban areas; Vector-borne diseases; Water pollution; Water supply; Wildlife; Woodlands
• ISSN: 2073-445X; 2073-445X
• DOI: 10.3390/land10121350

Hyperarid, arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas cover approximately 41% of the global land area. The human population in drylands, currently estimated at 2.7 billion, faces limited access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food. We discuss the interlinkages among water security, environmental security, energy security, economic security, health security, and food security governance, and how they affect food security in drylands. Reliable and adequate water supply, and the prevention of water contamination, increase the potential for ample food, fodder, and fiber production. Protecting woodlands and rangelands increases food security by buffering the slow onset effects of climate change, including biodiversity loss, desertification, salinization, and land degradation. The protection of natural lands is expected to decrease environmental contamination, and simultaneously, reduce the transfer of diseases from wildlife to humans. Biofuel production and hydroelectric power plants increase energy security but generate land-use conflicts, deforestation, and ecosystem degradation. Economic security generally positively correlates with food security. However, economic growth often degrades the environment, changes tenure rights over natural resources, and stimulates migration to urban areas, resulting in lower food and health security. Moreover, civil unrest, political instability, and armed conflicts disrupt local economies in drylands. Maintaining food security is crucial for health security; conversely, malnourished populations and unresponsive health systems decrease economic security, and adversely affect environmental, energy, and food security. Climate change is expected to deteriorate health security by spreading vector-borne diseases. Effective governance and timely interventions can substantially shorten periods of food insecurity, lower their intensities, and accelerate recovery from inevitable crises, and are therefore crucial in preventing humanitarian crises. Since global drylands population will nearly double by 2050, and since drylands are among the most susceptible areas to climate change, integrated multi-hazard approaches to food security are needed.