Women farmers tend to crops amid drought in Zambia.

How climate change impacts world hunger

The climate crisis is worsening, affecting communities across the world. Extreme weather events like floods, droughts and cyclones are destroying crops - crops that people rely on for their livelihoods and food security.

Learn more about how the changing climate is impacting global hunger on this page and find out what countries are worst affected.

Climate change is a big cause of hunger and malnutrition around the world.

And without change, the warming climate and related biodiversity loss will cause famine and food insecurity globally. Extreme weather events will become more frequent and growing seasons will be shorter.

How is climate change is worsening food insecurity?

Climate change is causing extreme weather events like droughts, floods, wildfires, causing a long term threat to food security and nutrition.

The world is reaching record high temperatures, seriously impacting how much food is available. Extreme weather can force people to leave their homes and their livelihoods. Crops can be reduced, destroyed or fail completely.

In turn, this all leads to a drop in farming and food production. And less food means more hunger and higher risk of malnutrition.

Community in Kenya gathering around flood waters caused by climate change.

Extreme weather events

Countries across the world are experiencing more and more extreme weather leading to climate disasters.

Severe drought is a leading cause of undernutrition in more than a third of countries that have seen a rise in hunger levels in the past 15 years.

In the Sahel region of Africa – which includes countries such as Niger, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso – the rainy seasons are becoming more erratic.

Droughts are leading to a decrease in food production while floods are causing outbreaks of diseases like cholera.

By 2050, the risk of hunger and malnutrition could rise by 20% if we fail to reduce and prevent the adverse effects of extreme weather.

Emergency update June 2026: Two earthquakes have hit communities in Venezuela. The loss of life is suspected to be in the tens of thousands. If you can, please support our response to the disaster by donating to our emergency fund.

3 countries feeling the impact of climate change

Countries across the world are feeling the effects of the climate crisis. But some countries - including some of the hungriest countries in the world - are worst hit than others. Populations most vulnerable to climate change are often experiencing intersecting crises, with conflict, gender inequality and food insecurity worsening hunger even more.

Somalia

Sahro farming peppers in Somalia in face of climate change.

Catastrophic droughts at the end of 2025 has caused crop failures and livestock loss in Somalia, with food production 83% down in the south. Droughts have tripled over the last thirty years due to climate change impacting La Niña weather patterns.

Consecutive poor rainy seasons have left communities struggling to access food. And drought has caused mass displacement across Somalia, with families losing their livelihoods and access to essential services.

Communities in Somalia are responding to the climate crisis by taking part in farmer cooperatives with Action Against Hunger. Teams are also implementing climate-resilient water systems that provided clean water to 32,000 displaced Somalians in 2025.

Chad

Sudanese refugees at Metché in Chad.

Chad is experiencing desertification driven by climate shocks, with little rainfall all year round. Recent droughts are set to decline crop yields by up to 25% due to water shortages.

Decades of drought have negatively affected the agricultural and livestock sectors which employ 80% of people in Chad leading to loss of livelihoods and homes.

Chad is adapting to the extreme climate. Sudanese refugees displaced in Chad are planting trees around water stations to collect runoff water, and livelihood initiatives are teaching farmers climate-resistant growing techniques.

Bangladesh

Kobita, a farmer in Bangladesh, tends to her vegetables while holding her child.

Its geographical location and monsoon-driven climate makes Bangladesh one of the most vulnerable to climate change. The crisis has led to extreme weather events across the country, including cyclones, floods and droughts.

16 million people are now food secure in Bangladesh and millions are displaced because of climate-related disasters. Bangladeshi women and girls are some of the worst affected by hunger, as food and other resources are often unevenly distributed in communities.

Farmers in Bangladesh are adapting to climate change by pioneering agro-ecological techniques alongside Action Against Hunger. Our teams have also implemented AI weather forecasting with communities to predict extreme weather.

How to stop hunger caused by the climate crisis

We work on long term farming and food production solutions to empower communities impacted by the changing climate.

We’re teaching farmers about climate-smart growing techniques and introducing nutritious, hardy crops that can better extreme weather conditions caused by the climate crisis.

Even when rainfall is limited, it’s possible for gardens to flourish and provide enough to feed families and livestock. With the help of innovative farming techniques, our teams are helping farmers grow more crops with less water.

And in climate emergencies, our teams are ready to step in when a climate disaster strikes with immediate aid and long-term solutions.

Climate stories from farmers around the world

Extreme weather, rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall are making it harder to grow food. But farmers worldwide are are finding new ways to grow crops, protect their harvests and secure their livelihoods.

Farming innovation in Bangladesh

Erratic weather in Bangladesh is putting crops at risk. Explore how farmers like Shilpi and Sabuda are using sustainable techniques to protect their food supply.

Stories from farmers in Bangladesh

Women in Kenya adapting to climate

In Kenya, droughts are making it harder for families to grow food. With support from Action Against Hunger, women like Alice are using climate-smart farming to protect their children from hunger.

Leading the way in Kenya

8 crops affected by the changing climate

Farmer examining banana crop yields in Peru.

Crops like cocoa and coffee are being threatened by the changing climate. Learn what's at risk and how farmers are adapting to save their crops.

Climate impact on crops

  • Gallery Climate innovation

    Improving soil


    Healthy soil means crops that thrive. In Pakistan we’re introducing crops like sugar beets, which can help reduce salt levels in soil.

  • Gallery Climate innovation

    Weather alerts


    We're helping herders and farmers dodge drought by creating an innovative system of real-time alerts that help them find better grazing land.

  • Gallery Climate innovation

    Farmer cooperatives


    We're setting up farmer co-operatives so farmers can rent larger plots of land for farming.

    Like in Uganda, where farmers can get together to negotiate fair prices for their produce.

  • Gallery Climate innovation

    Harnessing solar power


    During a drought or a heatwave, the sun beats down on rural communities.

    But by using solar power that energy can be turned into a force for good to fuel everything from water pumps to irrigation systems.

The ripple effects of the climate crisis

Food shortages and food security

Alice in a cabbage field supported by Action Against Hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As extreme weather destroys crops and drives up prices, food shortages are leaving healthy food out of reach for millions.

How climate affects food security

Climate pressures and conflict

People fleeing their homes on a dirt road in Sudan.

Loss of land, water and resources can lead to conflict and displacement, increasing hunger in the hardest-hit communities.

How climate and conflict link

Growing gender inequality

A group of women supported by Action Against Hunger in Ethiopia.

Women and girls often face the greatest risks during climate disasters and emergencies, with less access to food, income and support.

Gender inequality and hunger

Related publications

Front cover of Action Against Hunger's report

Report

The human face of climate change

Climate change is fuelling a global hunger and nutrition crisis that is exacerbating existing inequalities and has severe, compounding impacts on women and girls. Here are our asks for addressing the malnutrition crisis at COP29.

Action Against Hunger Climate Change Capacity Statement.

Climate change Capacity Statement

Rising temperatures and extreme weather are having a huge impact on people who already live in some of the toughest places on earth. Learn more about the effects of climate change and what we can do to combat it.