Linking hunger and climate
The Hunger and Climate Vulnerability Index aims to paint a regional picture of how much climate change may affect life across the planet
Experts from the World Food Programme (WFP) have worked closely with our climate scientists to devise a measurement of vulnerability to climate change.
Taking its definition from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 'vulnerability' describes the relative degrees of climate stress on populations (exposure), responsiveness to stress (sensitivity) and the ability of populations to adjust to climatic changes (adaptive capacity).
Our joint 'Food insecurity and climate' map (see downloads below) shows present day levels of vulnerability to weather and climate, alongside rates of undernourishment. Although it is still work in progress, the Hunger and Climate Vulnerability Index could be extended and developed to project how this vulnerability may change in the future, making it a valuable tool to help policy- and decision-makers build resilience and reduce the risk of hunger in future.
You can also download the WFP report Climate Change and Hunger: Responding to the challenge (pdf)