NEW DELHI – India is among the countries which are at the greatest risk offood insecurity due to weather extremes caused by climate change, a globalstudy suggests, PTI has reported.

Researchers led by the University of Exeter in the UK examined how climatechange could affect the vulnerability of different countries to foodinsecurity — when people lack access to a sufficient quantity ofaffordable, nutritious food.

The study, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the RoyalSociety A, looked at 122 developing and least-developed countries, mostlyin Asia, Africa and South America.

The countries at the greatest vulnerability to food insecurity when movingfrom the present-day climate to 2 degrees Celsius global warming are Oman,India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, researchers said.

“Climate change is expected to lead to more extremes of both heavy rainfalland drought, with different effects in different parts of the world,” saidRichard Betts, a professor at the University of Exeter.

“Such weather extremes can increase vulnerability to food insecurity,” saidBetts.

“Some change is already unavoidable, but if global warming is limited to1.5 degrees Celsius, this vulnerability is projected to remain smaller thanat 2 degrees Celsius in approximately 76% of developing countries,” he said.