The connection between food and water security and climate change may not be well known or emphasised very much by mainstream media, but it is one of the most critical and devastating consequences of climate change. As average global temperatures steadily increase, it will have direct effects on things like water vapor concentrations, precipitation, and stream flow, which ultimately damages our fragile ecosystems and changes weather patterns throughout the world. A location which once had adequate rainfall for crop growth may, for example, experience long-term drought (such as the recent (2010’s) Australian drought). The climate conditions for sustainable agriculture and collecting fresh water may become significantly unreliable or will disappear altogether.

Extreme weather events may also destroy crops outright either directly from its own impacts or pollutant runoffs from flooding or damaged facilities such as chemical plants. In the case of Hurricane Irma for example, 28 million gallons of treated and untreated sewage was released in 22 counties. Fresh water supply would also be threatened by pollutant contamination of rivers, lakes and reservoirs or simply that these fresh water sources are dried up from warming and drought.

Developed countries are better equipped in general to deal with seasonal climatic variations and can take a hit if from the occasional low agricultural yield. Developing or poorer countries, however, have less means to do so and even the once-off drought can be devastating. Nevertheless, long-term and ongoing climatic changes that damage crop yield will significantly affect both rich and poor countries alike. Though probably moreso for developing nations, the risk of political instability also becomes huge from sustained food and water scarcity as it’s obviously fundamental to any society. If you really think about it, climate change is also a national security issue which is all the more worrying. 🙁