Food and water security are central issues in IB Geography, especially within the Global Climate: Vulnerability and Resilience unit. Climate change directly affects the availability, access, and reliability of both food and water, making it one of the most serious global challenges facing societies today.
One of the main ways climate change affects food security is through changes in temperature and rainfall patterns. Higher temperatures can reduce crop yields by increasing heat stress on plants and livestock. Crops such as wheat, maize, and rice are highly sensitive to temperature changes, and even small increases can significantly reduce productivity. Prolonged droughts further limit agricultural output by reducing soil moisture and water availability for irrigation.
At the same time, climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events such as floods and storms. Flooding can destroy crops, erode fertile soils, and damage farming infrastructure. In coastal and low-lying areas, saltwater intrusion caused by rising sea levels can contaminate farmland, reducing its suitability for agriculture. These impacts threaten food supply at both local and global scales.
Climate change also affects water security, defined as reliable access to sufficient quantities of clean water. Rising temperatures increase evaporation rates, reducing water availability in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. In many regions, rainfall is becoming more unpredictable, leading to longer dry seasons and more intense rainfall events. This makes water supplies less reliable and harder to manage.
Glacial melt presents a further challenge. In the short term, melting glaciers may increase river discharge, raising flood risk. In the long term, shrinking glaciers reduce water availability for millions of people who depend on seasonal meltwater for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower. This is particularly important in regions such as South Asia and parts of South America.
In IB Geography, it is important to recognise that climate change does not affect food and water security equally. Low-income countries are often more vulnerable due to limited infrastructure, reliance on rain-fed agriculture, and fewer financial resources to adapt. This increases the risk of malnutrition, food price instability, and conflict over scarce water resources.
Climate change can also create feedback loops. Food shortages may lead to increased migration, placing pressure on urban areas and neighbouring countries. Water scarcity can heighten political tensions, particularly in regions where rivers cross national borders.
Overall, climate change threatens both food and water security by disrupting agricultural systems and reducing the reliability of freshwater supplies. These impacts highlight the close links between climate, development, and global inequality.
RevisionDojo helps IB Geography students understand these complex connections clearly, supporting strong exam analysis and confident evaluation across climate and resource topics.
