Tackling Food Insecurity, Air Pollution, Water Insecurity and Associated Health Risks in South Asia

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Tackling Food Insecurity, Air Pollution, Water Insecurity and Associated Health Risks in South Asia Tackling Food Insecurity, Air Pollution, Water Insecurity and Associated Health Risks in South Asia A FUTURE EARTH WORKING DOCUMENT September 2020 Contributors A Working Document prepared by: Report Leads: Smriti Basnett and Anupama Nair Food Security Group (Part A) Leads: S. Ayyappan1, R. Mattoo2 P. Choephyel3, A. Menon4, A. Nair2, S. Ram5, B. Sharma6, Tshetrim La7 Air Pollution and Clean Energy Group (Part B) Leads: P. Banerjee2, T. S. Gopi Rethinaraj2 Y. A. Adithya Kaushik2, A. Ajay2, N. Anand2,8, K. Budhavant9, M. R. Manoj2, H. S. Pathak2, M.L. Thashwin2, S. Chakravarty2 Water Security Group (Part C) Lead: R. Srinivasan10 R. Prakash10, S. Bharadwaj10, K. Madhyastha10, A. S. Patil10, S. A. Pandit10, D. Salim, L. Mathew10 Health Sensitization Group (Part D) Leads: H. Paramesh10, C. S. Shetty11 S. Bharadwaj2, S. Ranganathan2, V. Venugopalan2, P. Sarji12, R. C. Paramesh13, Shashikantha S. K.11 1Central Agricultural University, Imphal 2Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science 3 Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) of Bhutan 4K R Puram Constituency Association Welfare Federation 5Centre for Crop Development and Agro-biodiversity Conservation, Department of Agriculture, Nepal 6Department of Environment, Chandigarh Administration 7Department of Agriculture, MoAF,Thimphu 8Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science 9Climate Observatory-Hanimaadhoo, Maldives Meteorological Services, Maldives 10Water Solutions Lab, Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science 11Adichunchanagiri University 12Institute of Public Health and Centre for Disease Control, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences 13Ambedkar Medical College 14 Future Earth South Asia, Divecha Centre for Climate Change (DCCC), IISc Contents: Tackling Food Insecurity in South Asia 1. Food Security in Bangladesh: Challenges and Critical Areas for Intervention for Achieving the SDGs ................................................................................................................. 1 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 2 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.2. Trends in Food Production and Consumption................................................................. 7 1.2.a. Agriculture and Aquaculture .................................................................................... 8 1.2.b. Poverty and Human Capital .................................................................................... 10 1.2.c. Food Security- in context of the COVID-19 Pandemic .......................................... 12 1.3. Impact of environmental changes ................................................................................. 13 2. Agriculture and Food Security in Bhutan ....................................................................... 24 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 25 2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 26 2.2. Agricultural Production and Food Security in Bhutan .................................................. 27 2.2.a. Key Aspects of Agriculture in Bhutan .................................................................... 27 2.2.b. Recent Patterns in Agriculture and Food Sector Trade .......................................... 28 2.2.c. Addressing Food and Nutrition Security ................................................................ 28 2.2.d. Impacts of COVID-19 on Agriculture .................................................................... 29 2.3. Environmental Stresses and Agriculture ....................................................................... 30 2.4. Science and Technology for Improved Agriculture ...................................................... 31 2.5. Agricultural Value Chain Development ........................................................................ 33 2.6. Futuristic Policy Framework for Agriculture and Food Security ................................. 34 3. Agriculture and Food Security in India ........................................................................... 40 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 41 3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 41 3.1.a. Major Reasons for the existing food insecurity in India ......................................... 42 3.2. Trends in Food Production and Consumption............................................................... 43 3.3. Impacts of Environmental Changes on Agriculture and vice versa .............................. 46 3.4. Science and Technology to Improve Agri-Food Sector ................................................ 47 3.4.a. Science and Technology Solutions to Current Challenges in Food Security ......... 48 3.4.b. Soil Restoration and Health .................................................................................... 49 3.4.c. Integrating agriculture with other activities ............................................................ 49 3.4.d. Post-harvest technologies ....................................................................................... 50 3.4.e. Digital technologies ................................................................................................ 50 3.4.f. Policies that need rethinking and better implementation ........................................ 51 3.5. Future Planning for Improved Prospects of Food Security in India ............................. 51 3.5.a. Recommendations: ................................................................................................. 52 3.5.b. Priority areas ........................................................................................................... 52 3.6. Effects on food Security during the Coronavirus pandemic ......................................... 54 4. Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Security in the Maldives ............................................. 59 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 60 4.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 61 4.2. Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Security in the Maldives ............................................ 62 4.2.a. Agriculture Sector ................................................................................................... 62 4.2.b. Fisheries Sector ...................................................................................................... 63 4.2.c. Food Security and Nutrition ................................................................................... 64 4.2.d. Impacts of COVID-19 on the Maldives ................................................................. 65 4.3. Climate Change and Agriculture in the Maldives ......................................................... 65 4.4. Interventions to Improve Agriculture and Fisheries in the Maldives............................ 65 4.5. Futuristic Policy for Sustainable Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Security in the Maldives ............................................................................................................................... 66 5. Agriculture and Food Security in Mauritius ................................................................... 70 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 71 5.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 72 5.2. Agricultural Production and Food Security in Mauritius .............................................. 72 5.2.a. Aquaculture and Agricultural Production ............................................................... 72 5.2.b. Food Security and Nutrition ................................................................................... 73 5.3. Environmental Stresses on the Agriculture Sector ........................................................ 74 5.4. Interventions to Improve the Agriculture and Aquaculture Sectors in Mauritius ......... 74 5.5. Futuristic Policy for Sustainable Agriculture, Aquaculture and Food Security ............ 76 6. Agriculture and Food Security in Myanmar ................................................................... 81 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 82 6.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 83 6.2. Agricultural Production and Food Security in Myanmar .............................................. 84 6.2.a. Physiography and Climate ...................................................................................... 84 6.2.b. Agricultural Performance and Food Production ..................................................... 85 3.2.c. Food Security and Nutrition ..................................................................................
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