Outlook on climate change adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Employment

Food and nutrition insecurity

Percentage by sector

Agriculture

Industry

Services

Prevalence of undernourishment

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90 100%

ILO estimates for 2017

Afghanistan

62

7

31

Percentage

2015-2017

2004-2006

Bangladesh

39

21

40

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Bhutan

57

10

33

15

30

17

33

China

18

27

56

India

43

24

34

no data available Bhutan

China

Myanmar

50

17

34

9

15

Nepal

72

8

20

Pakistan

42

24

34

India

Myanmar

15

Source: International Labour Organization, (ilo.org, accessed November, 2018)

GRID-A RENDAL /L ÓPEZ , 2018

11

21

32

39 per cent. Within the HKH region, one third to a half of children (<5years of age) suffer from stunting. In some mountainous areas, such as the Meghalaya state in India, the western mountains and far-western hills of Nepal, Balochistan province in Pakistan, eastern Afghanistan and Chin state in Myanmar, stunting and wasting in children is particularly high, and they are often also underweight (Rasul et al., 2017). Food security is closely linked to climate change, with the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report noting that

climate change will potentially affect all aspects of food security (food availability, food accessibility, food utilization and food systems stability) (Porter et al., 2014). Climate change and extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, are projected to adversely impact food security in mountain regions, including the HKH (see chapter 2 for more details), meaning that those who are already food insecure, including poor rural communities, marginal groups and the urban poor, are likely to suffer the most.

Nepal

Pakistan

10

21

16

23

Sources: FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, 2018, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in theWorld2018,FAO;RasulG.etal.,2017,FoodandNutritionSecurity in theHinduKush- HimalayanRegion, Journalof theScienceofFoodandAgriculture.

20