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Rusere F, Hunter L, Collinson M, Twine W. Nexus between summer climate variability and household food security in rural Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT 2023; 47:100892. [PMID: 38903131 PMCID: PMC11189653 DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Ongoing climate changes are likely to impact household food security in rural households that depend on rainfed subsistence agriculture. This paper investigates the relationship between summer climate variability and household food security in rural Mpumalanga, South Africa. We used a household panel data set nested in the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System, together with rainfall and temperature data for the summer periods 2006-07 to 2018-19 from three weather stations that surround the study area. We quantified the variability of rainfall using coefficient of variation and the standardized rainfall anomaly index, while temperature variability was reflected by the standardised temperature anomaly. In addition, the Mann-Kendall analysis was applied to detect temporal trends in rainfall and temperature. Longitudinal models accounting for socioeconomic and climate factors were used to estimate the relationship between weather and climate. The results reveal significant impact on food security from high inter-annual rainfall variability through fluctuations in food consumption, dietary diversity, and the experience of hunger. This study offers significant insights on how dietary diversity, food availability and overall food security are positively associated with greater average rainfall through subsistence agriculture as a livelihood strategy. These insights have important implications by suggesting seasonal forecasts to predict periods of potential food insecurity in local communities and can guide government policy and interventions to lessen food insecurity in rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farirai Rusere
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, and Wits Rural Knowledge Hub, Research Office, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
| | - Lori Hunter
- CU Population Center, Institute of Behavioural Science, Department of Sociology, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
| | - Mark Collinson
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council/Department of Science and Innovation, South African Population Research Infrastructure Network, Durban, South Africa
| | - Wayne Twine
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, and Wits Rural Knowledge Hub, Research Office, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
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Taboun OS, Orr SMA, Pereira A, Choudhry N. Factors contributing to the carbon footprint of cataract surgery. J Cataract Refract Surg 2023; 49:759-763. [PMID: 37390323 DOI: 10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The healthcare sector is a significant greenhouse gas emitter. Cataract surgery is a procedure that results in a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. We sought to review the literature for factors contributing to the carbon footprint of this procedure. The literature, although limited, varies greatly by region. The carbon footprint of cataract surgery ranged from approximately 6 kg CO2 equivalents in a center in India to 181.9 kg CO2 equivalents in a center in the United Kingdom. Factors contributing to the carbon footprint of cataract surgery included the procurement of materials, energy use, and the emissions associated with travel. Factors facilitating a lower carbon footprint include the reuse of surgical materials and more efficient autoclave settings. Potential areas for improvement to consider include the reduction in packaging material, the reuse of materials, and potentially reducing travel emissions by performing simultaneous bilateral cataract surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Salem Taboun
- From the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada (Taboun); Vitreous Retina Macula Specialists of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Orr, Choudhry); Octane Imaging Lab, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Orr, Pereira, Choudhry); Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada (Pereira, Choudhry)
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Brooks N, Grace K, Kristiansen D, Shukla S, Brown ME. Investigating the relationship between growing season quality and childbearing goals. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE : HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS 2023; 80:102677. [PMID: 37250477 PMCID: PMC10209476 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural production and household food security are hypothesized to play a critical role connecting climate change to downstream effects on women's health, especially in communities dependent on rainfed agriculture. Seasonal variability in agriculture strains food and income resources and makes it a challenging time for households to manage a pregnancy or afford a new child. Yet, there are few direct assessments of the role locally varying agricultural quality plays on women's health, especially reproductive health. In this paper we build on and integrate ideas from past studies focused on climate change and growing season quality in low-income countries with those on reproductive health to examine how variation in local seasonal agricultural quality relates to childbearing goals and family planning use in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Uganda. We use rich, spatially referenced data from the Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) individual surveys with detailed information on childbearing preferences and family planning decisions. Building on recent advances in remote monitoring of seasonal agriculture, we construct multiple vegetation measures capturing different dimensions of growing season conditions across varying time frames. Results for the Kenya sample indicate that if the recent growing season is better a woman is more likely to want a child in the future. In Uganda, when the growing season conditions are better, women prefer to shorten the time until their next birth and are also more likely to discontinue using family planning. Additional analyses reveal the importance of education and birth spacing in moderating these findings. Overall, our findings suggest that, in some settings, women strategically respond to growing season conditions by adjusting fertility aspirations or family planning use. This study also highlights the importance of operationalizing agriculture in nuanced ways that align with women's lives to better understand how women are impacted by and respond to seasonal climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Brooks
- School of Public Policy, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT 06103, United States
| | - Kathryn Grace
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Society, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
- Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Devon Kristiansen
- Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Shraddhanand Shukla
- Climate Hazards Center, Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Molly E. Brown
- Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
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Hadley K, Wheat S, Rogers HH, Balakumar A, Gonzales-Pacheco D, Davis SS, Linstadt H, Cushing T, Ziska LH, Piper C, Sorensen C. Mechanisms underlying food insecurity in the aftermath of climate-related shocks: a systematic review. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e242-e250. [PMID: 36774944 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00003-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Food insecurity is prevalent, affecting 1·2 billion people globally in 2021. However, the effects of food insecurity are unequally distributed across populations and climate-related shocks threaten to exacerbate food insecurity and associated health consequences. The mechanisms underlying this exacerbation at the household level are largely unknown. We aimed to synthesise the available evidence on the mechanisms connecting extreme climate events to household-level food insecurity and highlight the research gaps that must be addressed to inform better food security and health policy. For this systematic review, a comprehensive literature search was done by a medical librarian in February, 2021 for articles about food security and climate-related shocks. Relevant publications were identified by searching the following databases with a combination of standardised index terms and keywords: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, GreenFILE, Environment Complete, Web of Science Core Collection, and Global Health. Searches were limited to human studies published in English. Included studies measured food security outcomes using indicators developed by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (ie, consumption patterns, livelihood change, malnutrition, and mortality) and explained the mechanism behind the household-level or population-level food insecurity. Purely theoretical, modelling, and review studies were excluded. Quality assessment was conducted using the appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool. Data were analysed using thematic analysis of the categories of mechanism (interpreted using internationally accepted frameworks), risk and resilience factors, and author policy recommendations. We found a paucity of data with only 18 studies meeting criteria for inclusion out of 337 studies identified for full-text review. All the studies that were included in our analysis showed worse food security outcomes after climate-related shocks. Food availability was the most common mechanism cited (17 studies), although most studies addressed at least one additional mechanism (15 studies). Studies were of mixed methodologies with nuanced discussions of risk and resilience factors, and of policy recommendations. This systematic review shows that there is an incomplete assessment of food security at the household and community level after climate-related shocks in the literature and finds that food availability is the primary mechanism studied. The low number of studies on this topic limits subgroup analysis and generalisability; however, the good quality of the studies allows for important policy recommendations around improving resilience to climate shocks and suggestions for future research including the need for a more granular understanding of mechanisms and feasible adaptation solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie Hadley
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Stefan Wheat
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heidi Honegger Rogers
- College of Nursing and Office of Community Health, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Arjun Balakumar
- Emergency Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Diana Gonzales-Pacheco
- College of Nursing and Office of Community Health, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sarah Shrum Davis
- College of Nursing and Office of Community Health, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Tracy Cushing
- Strauss Health Sciences Library, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Lewis H Ziska
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christi Piper
- Strauss Health Sciences Library, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Cecilia Sorensen
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Hossain B, Shi G, Ajiang C, Sarker MNI, Sohel MS, Sun Z, Yang Q. Climate change induced human displacement in Bangladesh: Implications on the livelihood of displaced riverine island dwellers and their adaptation strategies. Front Psychol 2022; 13:964648. [PMID: 36312059 PMCID: PMC9606668 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.964648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In Bangladesh, many people are being displaced in riverine island (char) areas every year due to climate change and its associated natural catastrophes. This study intends to investigate the impact of climate change on internally displaced char people's lives and livelihoods along with local adaptation strategies and hindrances to the coping mechanism. Data have been collected from 280 internally displaced households in two sub-districts. A mixed-method approach has been considered combined with qualitative and quantitative methods. The results disclose that frequent flooding, riverbank erosion, and crop loss are the leading causes for relocation, and social relations are impeded in the new place of residence. Increasing summer and winter temperatures, recurrent flooding, severity of riverbank erosion, and expanding disease outbreaks are also important indicators of climate change identified by displaced people, which are consistent with observed data. This study also reveals that almost all households come across severe livelihood issues like food shortage, unemployment and income loss, and housing and sanitation problems due to the changing climate associated with disasters in the former and present places. In response to this, the displaced people acclimatize applying numerous adaptation strategies in order to boost the livelihood resilience against climate change. However, fragile housing, financial conditions, and lack of own land are still the highest impediments to the sustainability of adaptation. Therefore, along with the government, several organizations should implement a dynamic resettlement project through appropriate scrutiny to eradicate the livelihood complications of internally displaced people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babul Hossain
- Management Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guoqing Shi
- National Research Center for Resettlement, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chen Ajiang
- Research Center for Environment and Society, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | - Zhonggen Sun
- Asian Research Center, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Department of Sociology, School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
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Randell H, Gray C, Shayo EH. Climatic conditions and household food security: Evidence from Tanzania. FOOD POLICY 2022; 112:102362. [PMID: 37064798 PMCID: PMC10099342 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Food security and adequate nutrition are critical for achieving progress toward sustainable development. Two billion people worldwide experience moderate to severe food insecurity, and rates of hunger have increased over the past several years after declining steadily for decades. The FAO attributes this increase in large part to climate change, though empirical evidence on the relationship between climatic conditions and food security remains limited. We examine this question by linking nationally representative longitudinal data from four rounds of the Tanzania National Panel Survey to high-resolution gridded climate data. We then estimate a set of fixed effects regression models to understand the linkages between recent rainy season precipitation and temperature and two indicators of household food security: Food Consumption Score (FCS) and reduced Coping Strategies Index (rCSI). We find that low rainfall-particularly dry and cool conditions-is negatively associated with food security. Moving from a typical rainfall year to a particularly dry one increases the risk of being food insecure on both measures simultaneously by 13-percentage points. This suggests that a lack of rainfall impedes households' ability to access food, likely through reduced agricultural production and increased food prices, leading to lower dietary diversity and food shortages. Vulnerability is higher among households with fewer working age members, suggesting that households with a greater supply of labor can better withstand droughts. As climate change alters precipitation and temperature patterns over the coming decades, policies to increase resilience will be critical for improving food security, particularly among populations heavily reliant on agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Randell
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, 110-A Armsby Building, Penn State, University Park, PA, USA 16802
| | - Clark Gray
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
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McMahon K, Gray C. Climate change, social vulnerability and child nutrition in South Asia. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE : HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS 2021; 71:102414. [PMID: 34898861 PMCID: PMC8653856 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advancements in global population well-being and food security, climate change threatens to undermine child nutritional health, particularly for marginalized populations in tropical low- and middle-income countries. South Asia is at particular risk for climate-driven undernutrition due to a combination of historical weather exposures, existing nutritional deficits, and a lack of sanitation access. Previous studies have established that precipitation extremes increase rates of undernutrition in this region, but the existing literature lacks adequate consideration of temperature anomalies, mediating social factors, and the developmentally-relevant timing of exposure. We combine high-resolution temperature and precipitation data with large-sample survey data on household demographics and child anthropometry, using an approach that incorporates three key developmental periods and a rigorous fixed effects design. We find that precipitation extremes in the first year of life significantly decrease children's height-for-age (HAZ) in South Asia. The detrimental effects of extreme precipitation are especially concentrated in under-resourced households, such as those lacking access to proper sanitation and education for women, while anomalous heat is particularly harmful for children in Pakistan, though it tends to benefit children in some demographic groups. These results indicate that nutritional status in South Asia is highly responsive to climate exposures, and that addressing sanitation infrastructure and other development priorities is a pathway towards reducing this vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn McMahon
- Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, United States
| | - Clark Gray
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
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