Environmental Issues Worksheets

There are numerous factors that challenge food production. The climate, topography and soil variations within biomes may be challenging for growing food, but the way people change the environment can also have an impact on food production.

This activity focuses on the impact of climate change on food production and food security.

Research shows changing and unpredictable weather conditions are altering the seasons and bringing change to biomes. For example, in Sudan droughts and extreme floods are becoming more common and farmers have to cope with crop losses, and adapt to these changes where they can.

In some countries, because the weather has become so volatile and extreme, people have to gain new understandings of the weather, adapt their farming techniques, and learn disaster management strategies to reduce the risk of people and communities going hungry.

1: Who does climate change hit first?

A scatter graph is a diagram that compares two sets of data. Study the below scatter graph, which shows countries at risk of climate change and the impact that climate change has on food security.

1. How is climate change expected to impact on food availability for the people in most developed countries?
2. Which countries are most vulnerable to climate change affecting food security?
3. Three cases of countries located in close global proximity to each other are highlighted on this graph. Read the text in the document on page 5 Bucking the trend. In a paragraph summarise the differences between each pair of countries.
4. Where do you think developed countries – like Australia – would be located on this graph? Justify your decision.

2: Mind the Gap

Study the below Mind the Gap graphic which summarises the implications of climate change on food production.