The Effect of Climate on Food Security and Nutrition in Pakistan

Introduction

Climate change is the problem of today; it is not something that we should be alarmed about in the future, and it is being experienced highly in Pakistan. With its varied geography, Pakistan is now facing great problems regarding environmental vulnerability and food insecurity. With the increasing frequency of extreme poor weather conditions, our agriculture sectors are very negatively impacted, worsening malnutrition and health inequalities in the nation.

This research deals with the complex interlinkages between food security, climate change, and nutrition in Pakistan. Specifically, with the province most severely affected by it, i.e., Sindh, Baluchistan, Southern Punjab, and Northern Pakistan, a holistic, or ecological, approach is adopted while analyzing the multi-faceted issue to propose policy-guided solutions so that resilience and sustainability are incorporated into the process.

Current Situation and Background

Agricultural Landscapes and Climate Susceptibilities

Agriculture is a vital part of Pakistan's economy, making up about 19.5% of the country's Gross Domestic Product and providing jobs for nearly 38% of the workforce (Government of Pakistan, 2023). The sector is very vulnerable to disruptions caused by climate change because it depends on typical weather patterns. In 2022, record monsoon rains led to devastating floods that submerged one-third of the country, displacing over 33 million people. 

Regional Impacts

Southern Punjab: The area has witnessed increasing desertification, which has led to a reduction in the yield of major crops such as wheat and cotton. Consequently, the ensuing economic strain has worsened food insecurity among farming households. The rapid glacial melting in northern Pakistan threatens the Indus River system gravely with downstream implications for crop water supply.

Nutrition Effects

The climatic variability has triggered devastating effects on nutritional status. According to the National Nutrition Survey conducted in 2018, 40.2% of Pakistani children below the age of five suffered from stunting, which is an obvious indicator of chronic malnutrition. The flooding also caused widespread displacement, which severely hindered the transport of nutritious food, clean drinking water, and medical care, hence aggravating the widespread malnutrition (UNICEF, 2019).

Theoretical Framework: Ecological Model and Other Considerations

A proper understanding of food security, climate change, and dietary needs entails a comprehensive model. An ecological model is a good, comprehensive model to examine the interactions at different levels:

Individual Level (Utilization)

The main determinants of diet quality and an individual's health are diet-related behavior, food intake, and biological determinants. The reduced availability of food because of climate change reduces dietary diversity and thus the lack of vital nutrients.

Interpersonal Dimension (Accessibility)

Household and community functioning, social support networks and systems, are the most significant determinants of access to food. Climate shocks dismantle such networks and thus pre-empt the traditional coping strategies.

Community Level (Accessibility)

Food availability is influenced by agricultural practices, infrastructure quality, and local markets. Flooding destroys infrastructure negatively and lowers agricultural production, thus lowering local food availability.

Societal Level (Stability)

The more abstract determinants of social structure include economic systems, policy choices, and cultural beliefs, all of which have considerable influence on food system stability. In addition, social inequality and ineffective policy interventions worsen exposure to the impacts of climate change.

In addition to the ecological model, the political economy model places emphasis on the role of power relations, resource distribution, and government in determining food safety. Similarly, the social determinants of health model also places emphasis on the overlap of educational level, income, and gender equity in determining nutrition (Ministry of National Food Security & Research, 2018).

Review of Existing Policies and Practices

National Policy on Climate Change (2012)

Pakistan's National Climate Change Policy aims to offset the weaknesses of climate change by encouraging adaptation and mitigation policies (Ministry of Climate Change, 2012). Implementation of policy has been characterized by gaps in finance, inter-agency coordination, and poor linkage to other sector policies.

National Food Security Policy (2018)

The objective of this policy is to improve food security in Pakistan through promoting sustainable farm production and ensuring assured availability of quality food. It does not, however, address the specific question of climate change, i.e., cultivating climate-tolerant crops and employing adaptive farming practices.

Water Management

The shortage of water remains the key issue, and one of the primary sources of water wastage is the inefficiency of irrigation systems. The resources that are essential for farming are becoming worse due to lack of investment in advanced water-saving technologies.

Policy and Future Directions Implications

Pakistan needs to have an integrated and unified policy approach.

Climate-Smart Agriculture

Adoption of Resilient Crops: Promote the cultivation of drought-resistant and flood-resistant crop types.

Sustainable Farming Practices: Promote agroforestry, crop diversification, and conservation agriculture to enhance resilience.

Integrating nutritional aspects into climate policy

Climate adaptation must bring nutritional objectives into nutrition-sensitive programs to ensure that food security interventions fully respond to qualitative and quantitative dimensions of food (Government of Pakistan, 2023).

Targeted Support to Vulnerable Groups: Design schemes for targeting the nutritional requirements of children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups.

Conclusion: 

The relationship of climate change with nutrition in Pakistan is unfortunately very complex. Although the country is developing progressively by creating policies to address these issues, the problem still resides as the problem is how they are being carried out, coordinated, and funded. The solution is simply to focus on the community-driven activities. Pakistan has the potential for improvement and can move forward with better food security and resilience.