Heatwaves Endangers Crops, Marine Life; Global Food Security At Risk

Experts have warned that the continuous hot temperature, which is being experienced globally, could have an adverse impact towards food security.

(Photo : Pexels/Harry Cooke)

The Guardian reported that the global heat could affect crops and marine life, or the nature's way of providing the public with food.

According to John Marsham, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Leeds, the risks of simultaneous major crop losses in various regions across the world will really affect the food supply and the commodities' prices in many countries.

"As a human being, if you're wealthy enough, you can get inside and put the air conditioning on. But natural ecosystems and farmed ecosystems can't do that," Marsham told The Guardian.

While this is not foreseen to happen anytime soon, Marsham said this could be expected in the coming decades.

Extreme heat as lethal to agricultural land, oceans

An entry posted on Common Dreams noted that aside from the health risks, the extreme hot weather could adversely affect the agricultural lands because of the high possibility of the occurrence of drought.

Farmers have been extremely aware of the weather's effects on their farming methods.

The report said that the heatwaves, which was experienced in Europe in 2022, had reduced the continent's agricultural yields.

According to a separate The Guardian report, Europe saw a decrease in the supply of maize, sunflower and soya bean by about 8% to 9% last year due to hot weather that was experienced across the continent.

Aside from that, cereal produce also decreased at about 2% when compared to the five-year average. Meanwhile sugar beet and potatoes had a better number than the average.

Further, the drought and heat stress in many regions took place in the same period that the main crops were already in the "flowering stage."

Unfortunately, the water reservoirs in many areas had been too low to meet the demand for the irrigation.

It was not only in Europe that crop losses was experienced last year as China and India also encountered drought and heatwave, respectively. Moreover, famine also loomed in Africa because of the "climate-intensified drought."

Aside from risks it may cause to the agriculture sector, too much heat also threatens coastal communities, which also puts at risk marine creatures that are another source of food for humans.

According to Daniela Schmidt, Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol, the effects of hot weather towards marine ecosystem is somehow ignored as people easily see its effects on plants and animals.

"But people generally don't think about marine heatwaves. That's what really worries me - that unseen, silent dying," Schmidt said.

Experts said that some of the most vulnerable ecosystems are the ones that are used to having a stable temperature in a year, including those who inhabit the tropical oceans.

To recall, it was in 2021 when around one billion animals were killed in Canada's Pacific Coast because of the heat dome. This incident, or the mass death of shellfish, also had a negative impact towards the water quality in the Canada waters.