Bio:

Verda Salman is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad, Pakistan. A development economist by training, her research focuses on topics related to human behavior and economic development. In her recent research project with the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics and the Islamabad Police, she is ascertaining the various impediments to technology adoption in the police. Of note, due to the intricate linkages between human development, food security, and nutrition, her recent research focuses on undernutrition, child mortality, and health with a strong policy focus. She completed her PhD at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and has been associated with teaching and research for almost a decade.

Project summary:

Despite being an agricultural economy, Pakistan faces a food and nutrition crisis. Because every sixth Pakistani (16.7%) is food insecure, and every third child (38.6%) is stunted. Agriculture is the most affected sector of the economy as a result of climate change. Food crops and livestock both lose nutrient value over time. This proposed IMMANA fellowship project would empirically investigate the relationships between climate changes and food (in)security and undernutrition, with a special focus on child health (stunting, wasting, and underweight). The study will make an essential contribution by investigating climatic changes and their impact on various agro-ecological zones across Pakistan, as the country has a diverse climate, and thus it is crucial from a policy standpoint to investigate this avenue that has not previously been investigated using household-level data from Pakistan.