Climate Change, Food Security and Water Management in South Asia : Implications for Regional Cooperation

Global warming, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have been the context of several deliberations since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Climate change is a critical issue, especially for the developing economies of South Asia. The region’s geographical dynamics, accompanied by the presence of substantial poverty, undernourished people, and food insecure population, adds to its vulnerability to climate change through a number of ways including their livelihoods, food availability, and affordability. The rivers of the region are the lifelines of the economy providing water to more than half of the world’s population. The increased occurrence of temperature extremes, altered rainfall patterns, rise in frequency of deficit monsoons, and heavy precipitation events observed in the region are the outcomes of climate change. Regretfully, these trends are projected to continue challenging the growth and development in the region, thereby necessitating cooperation among member countries. In this context, an analysis of the food and water security situation is undertaken, along with the expected impacts of climate change on the same. The article concludes by recommending policies that address public investments in agriculture, regional food stocks, and cooperation on water issues