Climate Change - Increasing Extreme Weather Events Affecting Food Production

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Warming of the atmosphere increases the number of times that temperatures reach extreme levels

More water evaporates from the oceans

More water vapour in the atmosphere leads to intense rainfall

Water vapour = helps earth hold on to more heat energy from the sun = global warming occurs

Longer events such as heat waves and prolonged rainy periods

Question 2

Droughts - impact food production

Answer 2

Crop failure and reduced water quality and quantity

2003 - southern Ethiopia had the longest drought on record with 20 million people needing food aid.

Further environmental impacts eg soil erosion, gullying, subsidence,rock falls and weathering

Increase in frequency and duration

Question 3

Floods - impact food production

Answer 3

Climate warms = more heavy rainfall

Flooding increases destroying crops, food distribution, erode the soil and damage infrastructure.

DEFRA - in the UK, 35,000 ha of high-quality arable land will be flooded at least once every 3 years by 2020’s

58% of the UK’s most productive farmland lies within a floodplain

Question 4

Tropical storms - food production

Answer 4

Tropics - many dry regions receive annually rainfall from tropical cyclones

Climate change increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes - stronger winds causing more disruption to farmland and infrastructure.

Ocean temps rise = lead to higher energy storms

Question 5

Heatwaves - food production

Answer 5

Prolonged period of several days/weeks of abnormal hot weather

Critical if coincides with crop development

2003 - Europe caused Portugal to lose 3500 ha of forest and farmland to fires

Food exporting countries in Europe has to import for the first time In decades

Previously used to occur every 3 years

Now every 200 days

Question 6

Climate change

Answer 6

Food production - accounts 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions Co2 from deforestation and methane from intensive cattle production

Global food system will face modifications from climate change = extending growing seasons and reducing them

Increased frequencies of droughts, wildfires and river and coastal floods

Farming - carbon sink
Soils can take a limit of carbon in the form of organic matter from crop residues and manure
Developed countries = certain set aside land can sequester large amounts of carbon if left unmanaged or reforested.

Increased frequency of extreme weather events can destroy crops and key infrastructure which may distrust distribution, make pot very worse and threaten food security