10 million Bangladeshis at risk of climate change hunger in 2030

Climate change and a trembling global situation are posing an increasing risk and direct threat of starvation for 10 million people in Bangladesh, reports The Business Standard citing the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

The international organisation, in its "2022 Global Food Policy Report: climate change and food system", launched at a hotel in Dhaka, highlighted that in Bangladesh, climate change will reduce agricultural productivity and disrupt supply chains, putting pressure on livelihoods, threatening to significantly increase hunger and malnutrition. 

Disruption in the export-import of goods and a price hike in agricultural equipment due to ongoing war situations and a global economic downturn will also cut agricultural productivity in the country, it added. 

For the aforementioned reasons, the impact of climate change will pose a threat for 1.13 crore people of Bangladesh at risk of hunger in 2030 which will decrease to 69 lakh in 2050. In 2030, the number of hungry people will stand at 52.80 crore globally.

The IFPRI, in its report, highlighted a range of information on disruption of food production, and trade and food security situations around the world, including Bangladesh. It also portrayed details about what food situations will be faced by different countries in 2030 and 2050.  

According to the report, climate change will lead to a significant decrease in calorie intake for the people of the country. A person will intake 2,714 kilo calories on an average in Bangladesh in 2030 which will increase to 2,911 kilocalories in 2050. But calorie consumption by people of Bangladesh will be less than the global average. 

As per near-term projections estimated by the IFPRI, Bangladesh will see a reduction of up to 17% in total calorie consumption by 2030 due to climate change, which was 2,426 kilocalories in the base year of 2010.