The effects of drought beyond decreased yields

Check out this article I found on the Guardian published in April 2016, but still very relevant to the context of this blog, in terms of discussing the links between food and water. In academic papers we often see the statistical side of things, with the impacts of drought on crops being quantified by its effects on yields and prices. I like this article and thought I would share it as it delivers a more personal narrative of the wider implications that food insecurity, as a result of drought, can have on communities in Africa. The article talks about how a lack of food is affecting the education of many children and causing them to lose the energy and good health to study, resulting in rising school drop out rates. In addition to this, children are having to also drop out to help their families find food.  There is also an issue regarding gender here, as girls are often being forced into sex with no other choice in order to receive food. The effects of food insecurity in terms of climate change and changing hydrological variability are often overlooked, and the knock-on consequences of droughts need to be acknowledged more beyond statistics, and this article does exactly this!