BANGLADESH, situated between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal, is highly susceptible to natural disasters and climate change. The country faces severe heatwaves, tropical cyclones and rising sea levels, which exacerbate the risk of natural disasters and displacement. This results from human activities, alters earth鈥檚 temperature, weather patterns, agriculture, biodiversity, human health and well-being, economics and many other factors. From 2011 to 2023, the global mean temperatures had increased by 1.10 卤 0.12掳C, which caused food insecurity and water scarcity. Global impact also affects Bangladesh as well.
Bangladesh ranks as the seventh most vulnerable country to climate change, having experienced 185 extreme weather events between 2000 and 2019. Moreover, Bangladesh heavily relies on agriculture for food security and employment] and agriculture accounts for 13鈥�15 per cent of gross domestic product and supports around 38 per cent of the work force, according to 2022 census, and is projected to be facing 0.9 million death as well as fishery disruption by 2050. Extreme weather developments, climate adjustment and sea-level rise threaten agriculture 鈥� the basis of meals, safety and livelihood 鈥� giving rise to rural poverty and the loss of coastal habitats.
As the agriculture sector is a climate-dependent bio-industry, climate change impacts made it more vulnerable, especially in Bangladesh. Climate change affects the agriculture system by disturbing agricultural climate resources such as temperature, precipitation, light, etc. In Bangladesh, where the majority of agricultural crop production is based on rice production, the production of crops is severely impacted by the incidence of crop loss caused by flash floods in hoar areas and reduced crop production caused by high temperatures, irregular rainfall, salinity intrusion because of sea-level rise that lessens the farming land for crop production in coastal areas. Droughts affect crop production in the northern region of Bangladesh.
Moreover, other agriculture sectors such as livestock, forest and fishing are also affected by rising temperatures, salinity intrusion, flood, drought, cyclones, etc as the population is increasing in Bangladesh and agricultural production is affected by climate change. The outcomes, in turn, pose a serious threat to food security, malnutrition, increased rural poverty and unemployment, hamper the production of raw materials for industries and adversely affect the gross domestic product growth of the country. In addition, agriculture sectors are directly and indirectly related to at least nine SDGs out of the 17 goals; and without proper adaptation strategies, it creates barriers to achieving these goals.
Adaptation strategies for different regions such as northern, southern, coastal and central areas in Bangladesh should emphasise crop diversification, improved irrigation techniques, climate-resilient plantation, integrated farming, floating agriculture, cage aquaculture, community-based adaptation, appropriate infrastructure building, salinity management, quality and tolerant seed varieties, rainwater harvesting, organic fertiliser use, community disaster preparedness education, effective communication systems, social security implementation and mangrove reforestation.
The National Adaptation Plan of Bangladesh (2023鈥�2050) also seeks to protect against climate change variability and natural disasters, develop climate-resilient agriculture, promote nature-based solutions and ensure good governance through the integration of adaptation in the planning process. So. the urgent need for effective adaptation strategies to ensure sustainable agricultural practices and food security, environmental policies and plans should be implemented.
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Azmina Mahmud, Shouravi Haque Ritu and Md Idris Ali study population sciences in the University of Dhaka.