Climate change threatens household diets, health in BD: Experts

Participants at the workshop on climate change effects on agriculture and food availability organized by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Dhaka on Sunday

Dhaka, Sept 20 — Climate pressures on agriculture could significantly alter household food choices and ultimately impact nutrition and cardiometabolic health, experts warned at a workshop in the capital on Sunday.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) organized the workshop in Dhaka to examine the interconnected pathways between climate change, agricultural output, food availability, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

The workshop utilized Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM), a systems analysis approach designed to map complex interlinkages across sectors. Organizers noted that this event marked the first application of FCM in Bangladesh focused specifically on the nexus of climate, nutrition, and cardiometabolic health.

The workshop was conducted under the project titled "The Impact of Climate Change on Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Disease in Bangladesh: Catalyzing Policy Action," funded through the Wellcome Trust Climate Impacts Award. Running from March 2026 to February 2029, the initiative aims to generate evidence to support healthier diets and climate-responsive public policies.

Dr. Sreejith Aravindakshan, CIMMYT Scientist in Adoption, Scaling and Innovation Systems, led the session and introduced the FCM methodology. Prof. Malay Kanti Mridha of the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, and Dr. Kaela Connors of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill also presented key aspects of the project.

During the sessions, participants analyzed how climate-induced agricultural losses could affect household food availability and dietary habits, as well as the cascading effects on fish-based diets, drinking water, and beverage choices.

Prof. Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury of the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute observed that the impact of climate change on nutrition could vary significantly across different households.

Prof. Mridha highlighted that climate-driven dietary shifts carry the dual risk of emerging undernutrition and overnutrition. Furthermore, Dr. Subarna Ferdous from the Department of Fisheries noted that climate change threatens fish diversity and aquaculture, potentially curtailing access to fish as a vital source of protein.

To counter these threats, participants discussed adaptation strategies, including ensuring household access to cool drinking water, promoting agroforestry, and expanding community nutrition education.

Researchers clarified that the FCM maps generated from the exercise represent stakeholder assessments and research priorities rather than definitive causal models or predictive disease rates.

The broader project is jointly led by Prof. Lindsey Smith Taillie of UNC-Chapel Hill and Prof. Mridha, with CIMMYT and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh serving as key implementing partners. - UNB