EMERGING CONTOURS OF CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE: EVIDENCE FROM COASTAL BANGLADESH

DOI: http://doi.org/10.55706/ijbssr12118
Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) aims to adapt
agricultural and dependent socio-economic systems to the risks posed by the
ongoing climate change. This essentially involves the adoption of various
climate-smart engagements in the practice of crop production, animal husbandry,
forestry, and fishery systems. Coastal Bangladesh has a very high presence of
agriculturists, and the landscape is highly vulnerable to the various adverse
impacts of climate change. The key challenges faced by the region are
unprecedented extreme climatic events (frequent cyclones, droughts), saltwater
ingress, coastal erosion, etc. Evidence-based analysis of the interaction of
climatic risks with landscape and its social economic scape is a sine qua non
to the design, implementation, and integration of CRA interventions in the
landscape. Driven by these considerations, we have explored the context of
coastal agriculture in Bangladesh with the following research objectives- i) analyse
the measures taken for climate resilience of agricultural systems and climate
change adaptation of the communities in the climate-vulnerable coastal areas of
Bangladesh, ii) identify and explore the barriers in the
adaptation engagements by the local communities, iii) suggest
measures for pushing the frontiers of climate change adaptation through policy
measures to improve the effectiveness of CRA interventions in the coastal
areas. In order to address the questions, this study
followed a Rapid Assessment Process (RAP). It consisted essentially farmer’s
interviews, focus group discussions and experts’ interviews. This was
complemented by direct field observations as well. The results indicate that
climate change adaptation pursued in the landscape can be grouped into a)
planned adaptation and b) autonomous adaptation. It was found that the farmers
had various autonomous adaptation measures and planned adaptation
measures. Homestead gardening models and integrated farming models are found
widely accepted autonomous adaptation engagements in the study area. Among many
barriers, limited access to agricultural knowledge and technology adoption gaps
limits the ability of farming communities to adapt their agricultural systems
to climate change risks and impacts. The study recommends a strong case
for providing policy and promotion coverage to the successful autonomous
practices undertaken by the farming communities and to reduce to chances of
maladaptation practices. Further, the validated adaptation measures need to be
facilitated while actively scaling up the planned adaptation interventions to
transform to climate-resilient agriculture.