Study warns: Half of the world's population at risk!

A study from the University of Washington has warned that rice, the staple food for more than half of the world’s population, faces growing threats from climate change-related temperature rises, a development that could place one of the world’s most important agricultural crops before unprecedented challenges. The study found that rice, which has been cultivated for about 10,000 years, historically did not thrive when the annual average temperature exceeded 28 degrees Celsius, or when peak temperatures during the warm season surpassed 33 degrees Celsius. However, climate models suggest that large parts of Asia, which produce and consume around 90% of the world’s rice, may exceed these thermal thresholds in the coming decades. The researchers relied on satellite imagery, agricultural records, archaeological data, and future climate projections to conclude that the areas exceeding the thermal limits suitable for rice cultivation could expand by a factor of 10 to 30 times by the end of the century in the largest Asian rice-producing countries.