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Drought has a paramount impact on global agriculture and food security. However, the study on future cropland areas that can incur drought is inadequate. This paper uses input parameters from 7 CMIP6 models for 7 future scenarios (SSP1‐1.9, SSP1‐2.6, SSP4‐3.4, SSP2‐4.5, SSP4‐6.0, SSP3‐7.0, and SSP5‐8.5) to measure South Asian cropland exposure to drought and its underlying factors. Some defined epochs such as 2021–2040 (near‐term), 2041–2060 (mid‐term), 2081–2100 (long‐term), and 1995–2014 (reference period) are designed to explore diverse outlooks of the change. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index and the Run theory methods are applied to detect drought. Results indicate an intensified cropland (under SSP4‐3.4, SSP3‐7.0, and SSP5‐8.5) in the Indo‐Gangetic Plain region of South Asia, where mostly the variation occurs among scenarios and periods. Notably, the future cropland exposed to drought will increase in the 2021–2040, and 2041–2060 periods, but it intends to decline during the 2081–2100. Relatively, the exposed cropland will upturn highest by 49.2% (SSP3‐7.0) in the mid‐term period and decrease by −8.2% (SSP5‐8.5) in the end future. Spatially, distributed cropland in the central, south‐west, and portion of the northeast of South Asia are subjective to be exposed largely, but it can drop greatly across the eastern part by the end future. Importantly, the climate change effect plays a grounding role in future exposure change over the region during the near to mid‐term periods, while the cropland change effect is predominant in the long‐term perspectives. However, these findings signify the urgency of policymaking focusing on drought mitigation to ensure food security. Plain Language Summary: Estimating drought‐induced cropland exposure is the pivotal aspect of agricultural risk assessment for drought impacts. The purposes of this study are to explore (a) how much of the cropland area would be exposed to drought under SSP scenarios; and (b) the degree to which climate change and cropland change effects contribute to changes in exposure. In this regard, we conducted a multi‐model and multi‐scenario‐based analysis to reveal variations in the cropland area exposed to drought in South Asia. Among the seven scenario combinations, the highest percentage of cropland exposed to drought was found at 49.2% (SSP3‐7.0) in the mid‐term epoch (2041–2060). The climate change effect seems to be the key contributor in the near‐term to mid‐term period, whereas it is the cropland change effect long‐term. To reduce drought risk, we recommend focusing on strong climate change mitigation policy development in the near‐ and mid‐term periods at a global scale and strict land‐use management policy interventions in the long‐term period at the regional level. Key Points: Larger cropland area will experience drought in the 2040–2060 period, while it will decline by the end of 21st centuryThe exposed cropland will increase by 49.2% under SSP3‐7.0 than that of historical timeThe climate change effect is the pivotal contributor in exposure changes over South Asia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving environmental quality across South Asia has become one of the utmost important policy agendas of the concerned governments. The susceptibility of the majority of the South Asian countries to multifaceted climate change adversities has motivated the need to identify the factors that can function to ensure environmental sustainability across South Asia. Although several studies have highlighted the importance of globalization and cleaner energy use in tackling the environmental degradaton issues of the South Asian countries, very little is known regarding the impacts of regional trade and renewable energy transition in this regard. Hence, this paper aims to scrutinize the effects of enhancing intra‐regional trade integration and undergoing renewable energy transition on per capita carbon dioxide emissions in the context of six South Asian nations between 1990 and 2016. The results from the recently developed cross‐sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag regression approach, accounting for cross‐sectional dependency and slope heterogeneity issues, reveal that facilitating trade among the South Asian neighbors reduces carbon emissions in both the short and long run. Moreover, enhancing the share of renewable energy in the aggregate energy consumption figures is also found to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in both the short and long run. Furthermore, both regional trade integration and renewable energy transition are found to jointly reduce carbon dioxide emissions in South Asia. The results also authenticate the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, while financial development and urbanization are found to boost carbon dioxide emissions only in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on malnutrition for school‐age children and adolescents (5–19 years) in South Asia is fragmented and inconsistent, which limits the prioritization of nutrition policies, programmes and research for this age group. This scoping review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the burden of malnutrition for children and adolescents aged 5–19 years in South Asia, and on interventions to improve their nutritional status. Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline and Google Scholar were systematically searched for articles published between January 2016 and November 2022. Eligible studies reported the prevalence of undernutrition, overweight/obesity, micronutrient deficiencies and unhealthy dietary intakes, and interventions that aimed to address these in South Asia. In total, 296 articles met our inclusion criteria. Evidence revealed widespread, yet heterogeneous, prevalence of undernutrition among South Asian children and adolescents: thinness (1.9%–88.8%), wasting (3%–48%), underweight (9.5%–84.4%) and stunting (3.7%–71.7%). A triple burden of malnutrition was evident: the prevalence of overweight and obesity ranged from 0.2% to 73% and 0% to 38% (with rapidly rising trends), respectively, alongside persistent micronutrient deficiencies. Diets often failed to meet nutritional requirements and high levels of fast‐food consumption were reported. Education, fortification, supplementation and school feeding programmes demonstrated beneficial effects on nutritional status. Comprehensive and regular monitoring of all forms of malnutrition among children and adolescents, across all countries in South Asia is required. Further, more large‐scale intervention research is needed to ensure policy and programmes effectively target and address malnutrition among children and adolescents in South Asia. Key messages: A triple burden of malnutrition (undernutrition, overweight/obesity and micronutrient deficiencies) is affecting children and adolescents (5–19 years) in South Asia, with heterogeneity within, and between, countries.In most countries, nationally representative data on the nutritional status of children and adolescents is absent and should be prioritized.Interventions targeting children and adolescents are primarily limited to small‐scale trials and focused predominantly on undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies despite rapidly rising rates of overweight and obesity.Further research is needed to inform the scalability and sustainability of nutrition interventions across different contexts and to understand the effectiveness of policies and programmes that address overnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress to improve nutrition among women, infants and children in South Asia has fallen behind the pace needed to meet established global targets. Renewed political commitment and monitoring of nutrition interventions are required to improve coverage and quality of care. Our study aimed to assess the availability of national nutrition policies, programmes, and coverage data of nutrition interventions for women, children, and adolescents in eight countries in South Asia. We reviewed relevant policy and programme documents, examined questionnaires used in the most recent rounds of 20 nationally representative surveys, and generated an evidence gap map on the availability of policies, programmes, and survey data to track progress on coverage of globally recommended nutrition interventions. Current policies and programmes in South Asian countries addressed almost all the recommended nutrition interventions targeted at women, children, and adolescents. There was a strong policy focus in all countries, except Maldives, on health system platforms such as antenatal and postnatal care and child growth and development. Survey data on nutrition intervention coverage was most available in India and Nepal, while Bangladesh and Bhutan had the least. Though countries in South Asia have committed to national nutrition policies and strategies, national surveys had substantial data gaps, precluding progress tracking of nutrition intervention coverage. Greater attention and effort are needed for multisectoral collaboration to promote and strengthen nutrition data systems. Key messages: Most South Asian countries had several policies and programmes in place which considered or addressed nutrition interventions across the life course.Nationally representative surveys provide coverage data for evidence‐based recommendations to improve policy and programme actions.Significant coverage data gaps remain in nationally representative surveys around counselling during pregnancy, interventions targeted for newborns, infant, and young child feeding, and counselling on and identification and treatment of severe and moderate acute malnutrition.Mobilising political commitment and increasing multisectoral collaboration are required for an enabling environment in support of nutrition data systems in South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The connection between marital status and suicidal behavior has been poorly assessed in South Asia. We aimed to see the proportion of marital status in individuals with suicidal behavior in South Asian countries. Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines and registered the protocol in advance (PROSPERO 2023 CRD42023399906). A systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO. Meta‐analyses were performed to pool the proportion of married individuals with suicidal behavior (total [suicide + suicide attempts], suicide, and suicide attempt) in South Asian countries. We considered suicidal behavior consist of suicide and suicide attempts (nonfatal). Results: Our search identified 47 studies for this review from 6 countries published from 1999 to 2022 with a sample size ranging from 27 to 89,178. The proportion of married individuals was 55.4% (95% CI: 50.1–60.5) for suicidal behavior, 52.7% (95% CI: 44.5–60.7) for suicides, and 43.1 (95% CI: 32.9–53.9) for suicide attempts. The proportion of married persons among suicide attempts varied significantly across countries (p = 0.016) which was highest (61.8%; 95% CI: 57.2–66.2) in India, followed by Bangladesh (52.5%; 95% CI: 41.8%–62.9%) and Pakistan (45.1%; 95% CI: 30.9–59.9). The pooled proportions did not differ significantly in relation to the quality of the studies (p = 0.633). Conclusion: This review identified married persons died more than others by suicide in South Asian countries while single persons attempted suicide than married. As the current study did not assess any cause‐and‐effect association, a cautious interpretation is warranted while considering married marital status as a risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic profoundly affected food security by disrupting supply chains through border closures Our study concentrates on South Asia and examines the interplay between COVID‐19, agri‐food trade, and inflation using monthly panel data spanning 2018–2021. Our findings demonstrate that the pandemic notably escalated food inflation in the region. Nevertheless, the robust interaction of agri‐food trade with COVID‐19 helped alleviate this effect. This underscores the significance of trade policies in controlling food inflation during the pandemic in South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, millions of people are at risk due to droughts in South Asia (SA). The likely impacts of droughts are projected to increase with global warming. This study uses the new ensemble mean of 23 global climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6), population and gross domestic product (GDP) projections to quantify future changes in increasing drought risks and associated socioeconomic exposure across SA and its subregions under 1.5°C and 2°C of warming. We used two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5. The most likely realization copula functions are used to model the joint distribution of drought severity and duration. Simultaneously, changes in the bivariate return period are calculated under a warming climate. The frequency of 50‐year historical droughts (under a bivariate framework) might double across 80% of the SA land area under 1.5°C of warming. Conversely, 12% of SA landmasses may suffer extreme droughts under 2°C of warming. The severe drought episode frequency is expected to increase under 1.5°C (40%–75%) and 2°C (60%–90%) of warming relative to the recent climate. The largest exposure increase is projected in R2 and R4, then R1. Additionally, 75% (65%) of the SA population (GDP) could suffer from increased drought risks under the 1.5°C warmer climate, whereas the additional 0.5°C warming will lead to an unbearable regional situation. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C can significantly reduce the drought risk influence in SA. These findings can help disaster‐risk managers to adopt climate‐smart management strategies. Plain Language Summary: The world has warmed rapidly since 1970, encouraging efforts to reduce climate change and to stabilize global temperatures to between 1.5°C and 2°C warming targets above preindustrial levels. With these aims, the present study explores the spatiotemporal changes in future drought events and their associated socioeconomic exposure over South Asia (SA) and its subregions under a warmer climate. We find that amplified drought risks are projected to increase over southern and southwestern SA under 1.5°C of warming for the SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5 scenarios. As the world continues to warm, some land locations, such as the interior of South India and Pakistan, may experience a temporary emergence of a climate change signal that weakens if the climate stabilizes and the Paris Agreement goals are met. In addition, we also found that the frequency of 50‐year historical droughts might double across 80% of the SA land area under the 1.5°C warming target. In contrast, limiting global warming to 1.5°C instead of 2°C can increase the projected population exposures to increased drought risks by almost half. We believe that the study findings will help disaster‐risk managers adopt climate‐smart policies. Key Points: The frequency of 50‐year historical droughts might double across 80% of South Asia (SA) land area under 1.5°C warmingSouthwestern SA is projected to have the largest increase in exposure compared to the other regionsLimiting global warming to 1.5°C instead of 2°C can increase the projected population exposures to increased drought risks by almost half [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to result in more frequent and intense heat waves (HWs) in South Asia (SA). The simultaneous increases in temperature and population will exacerbate the population exposure to future HWs. Here we estimate the future population exposure to daytime and nighttime HWs in SA using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) models under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) during 2061–2100, relative to 1975–2014. The results show that the projected frequency and spatial extent of the daytime (nighttime) HWs will be higher under scenario SSP5‐8.5, followed by SSP2‐4.5, SSP3‐7.0, and SSP1‐2.6 (SSP5‐8.5, followed by SSP3‐7.0, SSP2‐4.5, and SSP1‐2.6), relative to the historical period. The approach presented here allows decomposing the effects of climate change and future population on the overall exposure. The results reveal that the compounding effects of projected trends in population and HWs will significantly escalate the population exposure to HWs. Under the selected SSPs, the total population exposure to daytime and nighttime HWs ranges from 185 to 492 and 204–555 million people‐event, respectively, with the maximum exposure occurring in the Indo‐Gigantic Plain. The wide range of exposed populations highlights the sensitivity of the overall exposure to our future socioeconomic pathway decisions, emphasizing the importance of curbing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and adopting sustainable urban planning solutions to minimize the potential socioeconomic and health impacts of HWs. Plain Language Summary: Climate change will intensify the occurrence and intensity of heatwaves (HWs) in South Asia, with severe impacts on the population. Here we estimate the population exposure to daytime and nighttime HWs using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) models under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). The results show that the projected daytime and nighttime HWs will impact around 185–492 and 204–555 million people under the selected SSPs, respectively, with the maximum exposure occurring in the Indo‐Gigantic Plain. The wide range of populations under different SSPs highlights the sensitivity of the population to future SSP decisions. This emphasizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting sustainable urban planning solutions to minimize the potential socioeconomic and health impacts of HWs. Key Points: The number and extent of heat waves (HWs) are projected to increase under all the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs)The population exposure to HWs ranges from 185 to 555 million people‐event with the highest exposure in the Indo‐Gigantic PlainCompounding effects of climate change and population increase substantially aggravate exposure to HWs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Following Sadorsky (Energy Economics, 2011, 33, 739), we examine the nexus between energy and trade in South Asia in a panel framework using annual data from 1990 to 2015. Given the cross‐sectional dependency issue, we use robust second‐generation panel econometric methods for the analysis. We find that variables are stationary at the first difference and cointegrated in the long run. The Dumitrescu‐Hurlin panel causality test shows a long‐run unidirectional causality from trade openness to energy consumption but not vice versa. Moreover, the panel symmetric and asymmetric estimation techniques reveal that energy consumption rises by 0.47 per cent on average and 0.83 per cent, with a 1 per cent rise in trade openness in the long run. However, a negative shock of similar magnitude reduces energy consumption by 0.37 per cent. We further fortify the panel results in the country‐level data with robust methods. We recommend energy efficiency and conservation policies and renewable energy technology augmentation policies through bilateral or multilateral trade strategies for sustainable development in the selected South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has brought about significant changes to the the learning process, prompted by the shift away from traditional physical classrooms to virtual ones. With unequal access to remote learning technologies, there are concerns regarding undergraduate students' academic progress. A primary survey was conducted to create a composite learning score to quantify learning losses. A significantly higher learning loss is visible among students belonging to families facing income losses during the pandemic, and public university students. We find that compared to India, students of Bangladesh and Pakistan are affected more severely in terms of learning losses. The article also measures the extent of psychological distress and academic demotivation related to online learning. We find that the same groups of students face higher psychological distress and academic demotivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]