In West Africa, where we live, the impacts of the climate crisis are not abstract theories, but daily realities recounted by those who live them. In the Adamawa State of Nigeria, Farida Shagari, a 25-year-old mother of five, confronts the most relentless consequence of climate change — malnutrition.
As her community contends with dwindling resources and escalating conflicts between nomadic herders and farmers over decreasing arable land, Shagari faces the monumental challenge of nourishing her children in an environment where access to food has become increasingly compromised. For Shagari and families like hers, the climate crisis is a nutrition crisis.
Globally, there have been significant advances in reducing child malnutrition. Although these improvements are insufficient for the scale of the current crisis, it shows progress is possible. Now, the climate crisis threatens to undo hard-earned nutrition gains.