Poverty, not climate breakdown, caused Madagascar’s food crisis, finds study
But scientists say ‘moral imperative’ remains to prepare vulnerable populations for increasingly extreme weather
Woman in Fenoaivo village, south-east Madagascar, preparing meagre meal during drought
Wed 1 Dec 2021 18.01 EST
Last modified on Wed 1 Dec 2021 18.04 EST
Poverty and a heavy reliance on annual rains are the key factors behind the devastating food crisis in southern Madagascar not climate breakdown, a new study finds.
A million people in the region are struggling for food following the worst drought in 30 years. But the scientific analysis did not show a convincing link to global heating, despite the World Food Programme describing it as the “world’s first climate-induced famine”.
The researchers said their work nonetheless highlighted the “moral imperative” to reduce poverty and improve infrastructure in places that would suffer increasingly extreme weather as global heating mounted.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/01/poverty-not-climate-breakdown-caused-madagascars-food-crisis-finds-study
