This map is a representation of country-level food insecurity around the world based on exposure to climate-related risks in the period 1981-2010, the sensitivity of food systems to such risks, and each country’s adaptive capacity. HERE, you can explore how these factors are expected to change under different future climate change scenarios.

“The probability of simultaneous heat extremes in these regions increases by a factor of up to 20 for the most severe heat events when the number of north-south waves around the northern hemisphere is between 5 and 7 (see images below showing waves and areas of extreme heat). Two or more weeks per summer spent in the wave-5 or wave-7 regime are associated with 4% reductions in crop production when averaged across the affected regions, with regional decreases of up to 11%.”

Extreme heat waves linked to tropospheric jet stream disruptions are also cause for concern. Heat can be devastating to crop production on a local scale, but on a global scale, deviations to the jet stream increase the chance that heat waves hit multiple grain-producing regions at once, jeopardising global food supply. This is one example that further highlights the need for better prediction and early warning systems, local and regional disaster risk reduction efforts, sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, and effective water resources management to ensure food and water security.

Find out more about how the Arctic affects Global Risks.

View maps on these other global risks:

Extreme Weather Conditions Heat Stress

Water Insecurity Sea Level Rise