How Climate Change Affects Nutrition in Bihar: A Food Environment Perspective

The adverse effects of climate variability and extremes on food security and nutrition are undermining the efforts to end child hunger and malnutrition. Climate change impacts crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, and agroforestry by altering the quality, diversity, nutrient content, safety, and affordability of food. Consequently, all aspects of food security and nutrition, such as availability, access, utilization, and stability, are affected. 

Undernutrition is a major public health problem among children under five years of age in Bihar. It has long-term and irreversible effects on their physical growth, mental development, and economic potential.

Bihar is a state in eastern India that has a rich and diverse agricultural heritage. However, it also faces the challenge of climate change, which affects its food environment and nutrition status. Bihar is a state in India that has a strong agricultural sector. It has launched four agriculture road maps since 2008 to improve the productivity, income, and sustainability of its farmers.

Climate change worsens malnutrition in three ways:

• Through food: Climate shocks affect food supply, quality, price, and intake. This can cause stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies in children, adolescents, and women. Climate change also drives rural-urban migration, which leads to unhealthy diets and obesity.
• Through feeding: Climate shocks disrupt women’s work and time for child care. This can reduce breastfeeding and complementary feeding, resulting in stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies. Women may also rely on cheap and processed foods, causing overnutrition and obesity.
• Through health: Climate change increases the risk of vector-borne and water-borne diseases. These diseases affect how children absorb and use nutrients, leading to stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies. Climate shocks can also damage health facilities and services, preventing proper treatment.

Moreover, climate change contributes to diet-related non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. These diseases have their own health impacts, and can also increase child obesity through fetal overnutrition. (Popkin et al. 2012).

  This  post examines how climate change influences the four dimensions of the food environment in Bihar: availability, accessibility, utilization and stability. It also discusses the implications for the health and well-being of the people of Bihar.Extreme heat can harm everyone, but some people are more vulnerable than others. For example, pregnant women, infants, and children face more risks from high temperatures. Extreme heat can affect their health and development in many ways, such as:

• Causing dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke
• Increasing the chance of negative birth outcomes, chronic health issues, and infant deaths
• Making them more prone to respiratory illnesses and emotional distress

 Availability: How Climate Change Impacts Crop Production and Diversity

Availability refers to the physical presence and supply of food in a given area. It includes the quantity, quality, diversity and safety of food. Bihar is one of the major rice-producing states in India, and rice is the main staple food for most of its people. Bihar also grows other crops, such as wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables. However, climate change poses several threats to the availability of food in Bihar, such as:

• Changes in rainfall patterns, temperatures and seasons that affect crop growth and yield
• Extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, that damage crops and reduce harvests
• Pest and disease outbreaks that reduce crop quality and quantity
• Poor infrastructure and transportation that limit the access to markets and food storage facilities
• Low agricultural productivity and profitability that discourage farmers from investing in inputs and technology
• High population growth and poverty that increase the demand for food and reduce the purchasing power of consumers

These factors can lead to reduced availability of food, especially of diverse and nutritious crops, such as fruits and vegetables. This can affect the intake of essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, that are vital for health and immunity.

Accessibility: How Climate Change Affects Food Affordability and Preferences

Accessibility refers to the ability and opportunity of people to obtain food, either by producing it themselves, buying it from markets, or receiving it as transfers or assistance. It includes the economic, social and physical aspects of food access. Bihar has a high rate of food insecurity, meaning that many people do not have enough food to meet their dietary needs and preferences. According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, about 20% of the households in Bihar are food insecure, and about 48% of the children under five years are stunted, indicating chronic undernutrition. Some of the factors that affect the accessibility of food in Bihar are:

• Low income and high inequality that limit the affordability of food for many households.
• Lack of education and awareness that affect the food preferences and consumption patterns of people.
• Social and gender norms that influence the intra-household allocation and distribution of food
• Limited access to social protection and safety nets that provide food or cash assistance to the poor and vulnerable.
• Climate change can worsen these factors by increasing the prices and reducing the availability of food, especially of diverse and nutritious options. This can affect the food choices and preferences of people, leading to less balanced and healthy diets.

Utilization: How Climate Change Influences Food Quality and Consumption

Utilization refers to the way people use food, including how they store, process, prepare and consume it. It also includes the nutritional value and quality of food, and how it affects the health and well-being of people. Bihar has a diverse and rich culinary tradition, influenced by the cuisines of neighboring regions and communities. Some of the distinctive features of Bihari cuisine are:

• The use of panch-phoran, a blend of five spices that adds flavor and aroma to many dishes
• The use of sattu, a flour made from roasted chickpeas, that is consumed in various forms, such as drinks, parathas, littis and kachoris
• The use of mustard oil as the main cooking medium, which has health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure
• The use of deep-frying, roasting and steaming as the common cooking methods, which enhance the taste and texture of food

However, climate change can also affect the utilization of food in Bihar, such as:

• Poor hygiene and sanitation that increase the risk of food contamination and spoilage
• Lack of dietary diversity and micronutrient intake that lead to malnutrition and deficiency diseases
• High consumption of salt, sugar and fat that contribute to obesity and non-communicable diseases
• Low consumption of fruits and vegetables that provide essential vitamins and minerals

These factors can affect the quality and safety of food, as well as the nutritional status and health outcomes of people.

Stability: How Climate Change Impacts Food Security and Resilience

Stability refers to the consistency and reliability of food availability, accessibility and utilization over time. It also includes the resilience and coping capacity of people to deal with shocks and stresses that affect their food security. Bihar is prone to various natural and human-induced hazards that threaten the stability of its food environment, such as:

• Climate change and variability that increase the frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, heat waves and pest infestations
• Social and political unrest that disrupt the peace and security of the region and affect the food production and distribution systems
• Economic and market fluctuations that affect the prices and availability of food and inputs
• Health and environmental shocks that affect the productivity and income of people and increase their vulnerability to food insecurity

These factors can create fluctuations and uncertainties in the food environment, affecting the food security and resilience of people. They can also exacerbate the existing inequalities and vulnerabilities of different groups and regions.

Conclusion: How to Enhance Food and Nutrition Security in Bihar in the Face of Climate Change

Bihar faces the dual challenges of climate change and nutrition security, which are closely linked and interdependent. To address these challenges, there is a need for a holistic and integrated approach that considers the four dimensions of the food environment: availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. Some of the possible actions and interventions are:

• Promoting climate-smart agriculture that enhances crop production and diversity, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change
• Improving infrastructure and transportation that facilitate the access to markets and food storage facilities, while reducing food losses and waste
• Increasing income and reducing inequality that improve the affordability and accessibility of food, especially of diverse and nutritious options
• Enhancing education and awareness that influence the food preferences and consumption patterns of people, while promoting healthy and balanced diets
• Strengthening social protection and safety nets that provide food or cash assistance to the poor and vulnerable, while enhancing their resilience and coping capacity
• Improving hygiene and sanitation that reduce the risk of food contamination and spoilage, while improving the quality and safety of food
• Increasing dietary diversity and micronutrient intake that prevent malnutrition and deficiency diseases, while boosting health and immunity
• Enhance the capacity building of PRIs and SHGs on climate change and its impacts on child health 
• Enhancing community engagement and awareness that foster climate-resilient nutrition practices, while empowering people to take action and participate in decision-making
• Developing and implementing policies and interventions that promote sustainable food systems and enhance nutritional outcomes, while involving multiple stakeholders and sectors

By taking these actions and interventions, stakeholders can work towards creating a resilient and nourishing food environment in Bihar, ensuring the well-being and prosperity of its people.