Climate Change, Rising Floods, and Threats to Global Rice Production

Jakarta – Extreme flooding events, where crops are submerged for a week, pose a serious threat to global food security. Recent research from Stanford University reveals that floods have led to a 4.3% decrease in global rice harvests since 1980, equivalent to 18 million tons of rice per year. According to Zhi Li, an assistant professor in civil, environmental, and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, young rice plants need stagnant water, yet excessive flooding can result in plant death. ‘When plants are submerged for at least seven days, most rice plants will die,’ he said.