Climate Change and Its Implications on Food Security in the Great Lakes Region

Climate change (CC) is an existential threatThreats globally, and the Great Lakes RegionGreat Lakes Region (GLR) is not immune to the impacts of these extreme events. Erratic weather and extreme events such as rainfall and droughtsDrought have serious impacts on agriculture, a major income pillar for African smallholder farmers, and an essential source of food. Climate vulnerability in the GLR is exacerbated by multiple biophysical, political, and socio-economic constraints, thus limiting adaptive capacity within the GLR. Climate vulnerabilities in the GLRGreat Lakes Region suggest that research and developmentDevelopment actors, including farmers themselves, must take action to invest massively in mechanisms that can mitigate the situation. In light of the emerging literature, this chapter documents the most recent literature on climate change and its impact on food securityFood security, including the impact on food resources, food availabilityFood availability, food accessibility, food utilisation and stability of food products, as well as overall food productivityFood productivity, waterWater sources and arable land in the GLR and proposes adaptation strategiesAdaptation strategies based on climate-smart agricultureClimate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) to alleviate the impacts of the ongoing CC.