Author(s): Justin Jackson

Rice fields at risk from extreme rain due to climate change could threaten global food supply

Upload your content
Flooded rice fields, Guangxi, China
Daniel Parks / flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

A study led by researchers at Peking University in China suggests that extreme rainfall will significantly threaten global food production due to climate change and the accompanying extreme weather events.

[....]

[The study] used long-term weather observations and multi-level rainfall manipulative experiments to explore the magnitude and mechanisms of extreme rainfall impacts on rice yield.

[....]

Rainfall simulations across China showed that physical disturbance induced by extreme rainfall was the most critical yield determinant across 47% to 95% of rice sowing areas, accounting for approximately an 8% reduction in yield already, separate from the projected 8.1% reduction by the end of the century. 

[....]

A substantial percentage of humans live in China, with more than 18% of all humans calling it home. Conditions that affect the food supply of China have wide-ranging impacts on economies, agriculture and water usage around the world.

[....]

View the study

Explore further

Country and region China

Please note: Content is displayed as last posted by a PreventionWeb community member or editor. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of UNDRR, PreventionWeb, or its sponsors. See our terms of use

Is this page useful?

Yes No
Report an issue on this page

Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window).