A/HRC/37/61 aftermath and over the long term. According to WFP, more than 20 per cent of the variation in height in developing countries is determined by environmental factors, particularly by droughts since these have a severe impact on dietary diversity and reduce overall food consumption.25 27. Following many kinds of natural disasters, food in the affected areas may become contaminated, with an increase in the risk of foodborne diseases. Poor sanitation, lack of clean water, destruction of infrastructure and lack of suitable conditions for preparing food have led to mass outbreaks of foodborne diseases. 26 Crops can also be contaminated by heavy metals, chemicals, bacteria and mould. In many cases, it is difficult to determine which contaminants are in crops submerged in floodwater. 27 4. Sustainability 28. Natural disasters can have a long-term impact on the right to food by threatening key environmental resources and entire ecosystems that are vital for sustainable food production. Contamination of soil and water is an important environmental impact of storms, tsunamis and floods. Salinization of water bodies such as rivers, wells, inland lakes and groundwater aquifers affects the fertility of agricultural lands, which reduces crop yields in the medium and long term.28 29. Disasters also reduce nature’s defence capacity, amplifying the impacts of future hazards. The disappearance of natural barriers, such as forests that provide protection against wind, and mangroves that stave off erosion, are likely to increase the exposure of certain areas to natural hazards.29 FAO reported that following the floods in Pakistan in 2010, the impact on natural resources included “damaged or destroyed trees, forests and forestlands, plantations, forest nurseries, mangroves, wetlands, wildlife resources and other natural assets that sustain agriculture and livelihoods”.30 30. Landslides cause significant damage to soil, agricultural infrastructure, seeds and food stocks. Prevention measures such as forest conservation activities or watershed management are important to cope with such situations and prevent erosion.31 31. Biodiversity is essential for the preservation of ecosystems. As highlighted in a recent report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, “biodiversity is especially crucial to the stability and resilience of food sources” and contributes to overall food security. 32 While erosion of biodiversity is among the consequences affecting ecosystems in times of disaster, a rich biodiversity “can play a crucial role in disaster risk management before, during and after an event by fostering resistance, building resilience and assisting recovery”.33 Also, direct loss of biodiversity may lessen the availability of wild foods — a coping strategy relied upon by some in response to disasters. 34 32. Resilience can be built by providing livestock assistance at the onset of emergencies, for instance through vaccination services and by providing mobile feeding stations to facilitate herd mobility. Disbursement of seed banks to help restore farmers’ seed systems can also form an effective part of an emergency response, as can facilitating the establishment of microgardens to allow displaced families to cultivate food wherever they 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 See www.wfp.org/disaster-risk-reduction/how-disasters-affect-hunger. World Health Organization, “Ensuring food safety in the aftermath of natural disasters”, available at www.searo.who.int/entity/emergencies/documents/guidelines_for_health_emergency_fsadvice_tsuna mi.pdf?ua=1. See www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Emergencies/ucm112723.htm. See www.sms-tsunami-warning.com/pages/tsunami-effects#.Wiqg_PlN-k4. FAO, The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security, p. 17. Ibid., p. 22. See www.fao.org/emergencies/emergency-types/landslides/en/. See A/HRC/34/49, para. 19. See http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/174012/1/9789241508537_eng.pdf. Ibid. 7