Adapting to climate change

Maize (above) and sunflower are new crops at Hakaluki Haor ECA.

At present climate change has assumed the status of burning issue across the world and in the situation Bangladesh is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to its effect. Two parts of the country are supposed to be more affected by the changing climate -- the coastal belt and the north eastern part. Bangladesh is mainly an agrarian country and its production made a great stride but at present the sector is particularly turned shy to climate variability and extremes. In this context, under the Community Based Adaptation in the Ecologically Critical Areas through Biodiversity and Social Protection Project (CBA-ECA project) the Department of Environment is trying to motivate the local community how can they adapt with adverse impact of climate change by crop diversification. The project in question is at Hakaluki haor ECA basin. This area is more affected by drought, water shortage, early flood, cold wave and insects. With support of Department of Environment and help of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute in addressing the climatic influence, that means to promote agriculture in the haor basin, they have taken an innovative strategy.
Though the region is quite fertile nonetheless there has appeared some frustrating sign in agriculture sector. The local community is trying to grow new crops in the haor basin with some facilities from Department of Environment through CNRS (Center for Natural Resource Studies Association). The adapted crops are Sunflower, Groundnut, Soybean, Garlic, Onion and Potato (Onion and Potato in organic method), Mustard, Maskalai and Paddy BR 45. The farmers have taken yet another initiative to develop crop production and identify insects that are helpful and harmful for agriculture by taking an “Integrated Pest Management” system.

Most of the crops are hybrid so their yield pattern is very high in short duration. However, these species are produced as alternative crops in the Haor basin while performance of these varities is found very much potent in the ecologically critical area for addressing adverse impact of climate change. This crop diversification in this haor basin has attracted all communities involved in the agriculture sector here. It was observed that the crops pattern in the haor had changed for worse over the past 30 years with production reducing and insects increasing may be for climate change scenario. It is mentionable here that the largest grain yields are usually obtained in the Kharif season. At present it is no more happening. So, they want to take alternative cropping patterns to intensify crop yield in the region. Some farmers want to change from low to high yielding and short duration variety. They could harvest high quantity but sort of poisonous food grain by using unlimited chemical fertilizer as well as pesticide in the crops field. But it is not so. They are using organic fertilizer (vermin, general compost) and adopting alternative agriculture pattern.
The farmers have been cultivating new variety in the Hakaluki Haor basin for two years.  Here, the farming part is more significant for this Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) while other accompanying activities are biodiversity conservation, livelihood support and new strategy for adapting to climate change. Basically, sunflower, groundnut, maize are fully new crops in this area and are being profitably cultivated for two years by farmers. When cultivation started there was curiosity in the local community for they did not see it happen before in their native village. Now they are happy with the yield and hope to happily withstand apprehended climate change effect.

 The writer is an environment activist.