The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) led and organised a workshop in Dhaka to examine how climate pressures on agriculture and household food choices could affect the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Held at Amari Dhaka, the CIMMYT-led participatory workshop applied fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM), a systems analysis tool, to explore the relationships linking climate change, agriculture, nutrition and cardiometabolic disease.
The organisers described it as the first application of FCM in Bangladesh specifically to examine these interconnected pathways.
The workshop formed part of the project “The Impact of Climate Change on Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Disease in Bangladesh: Catalyzing Policy Action”, funded through the Wellcome Trust Climate Impacts Award. Running from March 2026 to February 2029, the project aims to generate evidence that can guide policies for healthier diets in a changing climate.
CIMMYT brought together perspectives across climate, agriculture, nutrition and public health. Dr Sreejith Aravindakshan, CIMMYT Scientist in Adoption, Scaling and Innovation Systems, led the workshop and introduced the FCM approach.
The program also featured project presentations by Prof Malay Kanti Mridha of the Brac James P Grant School of Public Health, Brac University, and Dr Kaela Connors of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
FCM provides a practical way to bring knowledge from different sectors into a common framework. Participants consider whether one factor increases or decreases another and judge the strength of that influence. Their assessments can then be represented as a network of connected factors, showing possible pathways through which a climate shock may affect livelihoods, diets and health.
The workshop materials encouraged participants to question proposed connections, identify missing factors and explain where relationships might differ across places or population groups.
The exercise was designed to record individual judgements through KoBoToolbox, including uncertainty and the limits of participants’ expertise. Differences of opinion will remain important to interpreting the resulting maps.
Climate risks and household responses
The discussion examined how climate stress on food production could influence household diets and cardiometabolic health. Speakers highlighted possible pathways and gaps in understanding them.
Prof Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury, an epidemiologist and head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, said: “The short- and long-term effects of climate change on household nutrition may vary across households. Losses of agricultural produce can affect food availability, while extreme heat and related stress may encourage greater consumption of sweetened beverages. Gaps remain in understanding these pathways, making this workshop important for identifying connections that need further investigation.”
Prof Mridha drew attention to the range of possible nutritional outcomes: “Climate change may have unintended consequences for human health through pathways involving both undernutrition and overnutrition.”
Dr Subarna Ferdous of the Department of Fisheries highlighted the implications for fish-based diets: “Climate change could reduce fish diversity and disrupt aquaculture, potentially limiting households’ access to fish as an important source of protein.”
Participants also considered practical ways to help households cope with climate pressures while supporting healthy food and drink choices.
Dr Shreya Chakraborty of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) suggested: “Adaptation options could include household storage of cool, clean drinking water and agroforestry systems incorporating trees that provide nutritious foods. These options should be explored as part of the response to climate pressures on agriculture, nutrition and cardiometabolic health.”
Dr Shamim of Brac emphasised the importance of education: “Improving awareness and providing training on nutrition and cardiometabolic health are important components of the response.”