Compound climate risks threaten aquatic food system benefits.
Michelle Tigchelaar1, William W L Cheung2, Essam Yassin Mohammed3
1Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. mtigch@stanford.edu.
Nature Food
|April 28, 2023
Summary
Climate change poses significant risks to global aquatic food systems, impacting nutrition and economies. Reducing societal vulnerabilities can mitigate these risks, similar to climate mitigation efforts.
Area of Science:
- Climate change impacts on food systems
- Fisheries and aquaculture resilience
- Global food security and sustainability
Background:
- Aquatic foods are vital for global nutrition, health, economies, and cultures.
- Climate-related hazards threaten the sustainability of marine and freshwater food systems.
- Billions worldwide depend on aquatic foods for sustenance and livelihoods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate national-level climate risk for aquatic food systems.
- To connect climate hazards to sustainable food system outcomes.
- To assess mitigation and adaptation strategies for aquatic food security.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an integrative food systems approach.
- Connected climate hazards to marine and freshwater fisheries and aquaculture.
- Analyzed impacts on nutritional, social, economic, and environmental outcomes.
Main Results:
- High climate risks identified for nutritional, social, economic, and environmental outcomes globally.
- Wild-capture fisheries in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and Small Island Developing States are particularly vulnerable.
- Reducing societal vulnerabilities offers significant climate risk reduction, comparable to Paris Agreement targets.
Conclusions:
- System-level interventions are crucial for enhancing aquatic and terrestrial food system resilience.
- Addressing governance, gender equity, and poverty can bolster resilience.
- Investments in resilience offer co-benefits for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
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