Description:

Food insecurity, defined as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life,” is a key pillar of environmental security, yet remains one of the world’s greatest challenges, impacting health and well-being, undermining global sustainable development and driving mass migration. The key components of food security - availability, access, utilization and stability - are each vulnerable to hydrometeorological impacts across time scales. Extreme weather events, such as drought, heat and floods on subseasonal-to-seasonal timescales, can disrupt livelihoods, food supply chains, prevent field access, and wipe out entire crops. Climate change alters the typical location and timing of seasonal rains, which has implications not only for crop growth, but also the billions of people who depend on rain-fed agriculture for food and livelihoods. These impacts, which disproportionately affect the world's most vulnerable communities, have cascading effects on health, education, and other sustainable development outcomes.

In line with the theme of the 103rd AMS Annual Meeting, hydrometeorological and climate data can play an important role in supporting food security. Improved observed analyses and forecasts  can improve early warning of extreme weather events that could trigger food insecurity. Ensuring data and information is accessible, even to rural farmers, can enhance decision-making, build resilience and reduce inequalities. And data can serve as a link, connecting physical scientists to development, humanitarian, policy and social science experts to achieve a common goal - global food security.

This session will explore the role of hydrometeorological and climate data in achieving global food security. We welcome submissions on, but not limited to:

• Examples of how observed and forecast hydrometeorological, ecological, climate and crop data are being used in the context of food security
• New or developing physical understanding of weather and climate impacts on food security
• Examples of partnerships that use data to help bridge the social and physical sciences to achieve food security
• How to make hydrometeorological and climate data accessible to farmers, development practitioners and policy makers to improve food security
• New and innovative sources of data and data analytics for informing decisions on food security