Agriculture Adaptation in Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

Abstract

• Nowadays, climate change is one of the greatest threats to human lives and livelihoods in coastal regions all over the world and especially, coastal zone of Bangladesh is facing tremendous challenge from climate change. Furthermore, Climate change and agriculture possess an inverse relationship where climate impacts hamper agri-production. Among other sectors, agriculture is facing deadliest experiences from climate change related natural disasters, as agriculture is the main livelihood option for the coastal people of Bangladesh. Hence, agricultural adaptation approach is one of the key aspects that are helpful to reduce agricultural crop vulnerability in the coastal zone of Bangladesh. In this connection, considering local level experiences, the main objective of this chapter is to find out suitable and viable adaptation measures that have the potential to help farmers to adapt climate change. These adaptation practices include identification of suitable cropping pattern, choice of seed, irrigation water management, crop intensification suitable transplanting and so on. Therefore, the first part of this chapter illustrates the changing pattern of climatic parameters mainly temperature and rainfall in the whole country alone with coastal zone sea level rise and cyclone; and the impacts of climatic variability on crop production in the southwestern areas. Then the focus shifts on brief profile of the coastal zone including geographical location and geophysical environment. The last part of this chapter provides recommendation on possible adaptation techniques that have the potential to help farmers to adapt climate change and reduce yield loss in achieving food security