Abstract
Seasonality remains a prime cause of food scarcity and hunger in the rural areas of South Asia with millions facing recurring food insecurity each year. With the impacts of climate change becoming apparent, the probability of sharpening food insecurity is high. Climate change brings with it increasing uncertainty. It is no longer a specific season which the farmer must gear up to face, but also the uncertainty regarding the advent of the season, its duration and the intensity of impact in terms of drought, rainfall, flooding, etc. To equip the small and marginal farmer to cope with the additional burden of seasonal uncertainty, agriculture policy and welfare measures need to be tailored to fit the changing situation. This paper reviews the impacts of seasonality on food security in the rural areas of South Asia, and projects the scenario which is likely to result with climate change. Existing policies/interventions to provide food security and secure livelihoods are assessed and recommendations are made to effectively co-ordinate government policies, public-private partnerships, corporate and voluntary initiatives to build resilience to climate change and ensure food security in the region.
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Acute Respiratory Infections.
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Bangladesh Rural Advance Commission.
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Ramachandran, N. (2011). Climate Change, Seasonality and Hunger: The South Asian Experience. In: Behnassi, M., Draggan, S., Yaya, S. (eds) Global Food Insecurity. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0890-7_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0890-7_14
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