Research suggests that extreme weather events have a negative impact on agricultural income and wellbeing of smallholder households. Climate change induced shocks can also affect people's ability to work, thereby, infuence their decisions on labor or time allocation.

British-grown potatoes, vegetables and fruit are at risk as growers struggle to cope with extreme and unpredictable weather, made more likely by climate change. Apple growers lost around 25% of their harvest in 2017 due to unexpectedly late frosts.

Understanding the magnitude and importance of income shocks, such as drought or conflict, in causing and perpetuating poverty is critical to designing policies aimed at building resilience and contributing toward the goal of ending poverty.

Low-income households around the world are particularly vulnerable to shocks, but also the least prepared when a shock hits. The effects of climate change, including floods, droughts, and other weather-related disasters, are adding another layer of risk for already vulnerable households.

This BAMS special report presents assessments of how human-caused climate change may have affected the strength and likelihood of individual extreme events. This is the second year that scientists have identified extreme weather events that they said could not have happened without warming of the climate through human-induced climate change.

The report, “Deluge & Drought: Water Security in a Changing Climate”, has found the severe drought gripping much of Australia has been exacerbated by climate change. Australia’s water security has already been significantly influenced by climate change.

This paper provides a background to the issues and current research surrounding drought in a changing climate. The publication draws insight from a dialogue with practitioners and researchers from a variety of New Zealand organisations involved in areas where climate-driven changes to drought risk are pertinent for long-term planning.