Predicting Urban food Insecurity under Climate Change in Brazilian Amazonia

Duration: 01/14 - 12/17

In Brazil’s Amazonia region, many urban areas are especially vulnerable to increasing drought due to their remote location and heavy reliance on river transport. Predicting Urban Food Insecurity under Climate Change in Brazilian Amazonia aims to improve the monitoring of food insecurity in these isolated settlements to help identify emerging crises.

The project combines the collection of new data and existing information, such as local poverty rates, to produce a computer-based tool to assess the location and intensity of the worst affected areas during periods of drought. This will help authorities identify where food insecurity is likely to be most acute.

Once completed, the project will provide policy makers with an effective early warning system to inform their distribution of relief and food assistance to Amazonian settlements. Workshops out other participatory platforms will also support the development of networks within Brazil, encouraging a more collaborative and community-based approach to future emergency responses.

Luke Parry (Principal Investigator, Lecturer)
Benjamin Taylor (Lecturer)

Collation of data on food prices, river levels and poverty distribution in Brazil’s Amazonia region into an integrated evidence base.

Mapping of available information into an online early warning system that highlights food insecurity hotspots during periods of drought.

Dissemination of research through conferences, publications, academic partnerships, media outreach and engagement of Brazilian government officials.