Adaptation Technologies in Agriculture:
Experiences from Bangladesh
Expert Meeting on Technology Road Maps
25 March 2013
Bonn, Germany
Golam Rabbani
Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS)
Outline of the Presentation
 Background
 Climate Induced Major Hazards
 How climate change currently affects agriculture practices
(including the coast of Bangladesh)
 Adaptation
Technologies
for
Agriculture
(Crop-Rice)
in
Government
of
Bangladesh

Adaptation
Policy
and
Strategy
of
the
Bangladesh
 Some examples of Adaptation technology in Agriculture in
Bangladesh
Background
 Bangladesh is one of the climate related disaster prone countries of
the world

Climate Change reduces rice production in Bangladesh by an
average 3.9 % each year (World Bank, 2010)
 4°C increase in temperature would have a sever impact on food
production in Bangladesh, resulting in a 28 percent reduction for rice
and a 68 per cent reduction for wheat (BCAS, BIDS and BUP, 1996)

Bangladesh losses about 0.5 million tones of rice annually as a result
of floods (Paul and Rashid, 1993)
 Salinity affected 1.1 million ha of land (soil) in the coast
 Farmers are adapting with local and innovative technologies
(advantage and disadvantages)
Drought
Cyclone
Storm surge, salinity
Climate Induced Major Hazards That Affect
Agriculture Sector in Bangladesh
Flood
Water logging
Bank
Bank erosion
Erosion
Mazumder, 2011
Climate Induced Major Hazards
That Affect Bangladesh
• River flood
• Flash flood
• Tidal surge
Affected/Exposed Areas:
• Nearly 80 % areas of the
country is low-lying
• Recent floods affected 30-69
% areas
• Standing crops damage
5
Climate Induced Major Hazards
Rice Production (Tons)
That Affect Bangladesh
Loss and Damage of Rice production in
four study villages in the coast (Before
and After Cyclone Aila in 2009)
2369
1063
134
0
Year 2008
Year 2009
Year 2010
Year
Year 2011
Climate Induced Major Hazards
That Affect Bangladesh
Source: BWDB
Climate Induced
That Affect
Bangladesh
Sea Level Rise
Major Hazards
Climate Induced Major Hazards
That Affect Bangladesh
Salinity Intrusion in agriculture
fields (SOIL)

Salinity intrusion increased by 27 %
from 1973 to 2009 (SRDI, 2010)

Farmers are extremely challenged
with salinity

After Cyclone Aila (2009), many
farmers couldn’t cultivate rice for
three consecutive years
How climate change induced hazards currently affects
agriculture practices in the coast of Bangladesh
Vulnerability to LIVELIHOOD
• Damages of crops, fisheries
and livestock
• No freshwater for crops
• Reduced yields
• loss of crops
Cyclone and Storm surge
Late and lack of rainfall
• Overflows surface
water resources
• Low level of water
in ponds and mini ponds
• Water quality and
quantity
• Lack of freshwater for
irrigation
• Reduce crop
production
due to salinity in soil
Tidal surge and
Salinity intrusion
• Salinity in surface water
•
Vulnerability to LIVELIHOODS
• Heavy rainfall in short
time cause damage to crop
• Excessive rainfall submerge
the vegetables and crops for
several days
excessive rainfall
(sky flood!)
• huge surface runoff
• Quality of water
deteriorates
Impacts on
Agriculture
sector
Climate
Change
Impacts on
water
sector
Adaptation Technologies for Agriculture (Crop-Rice and Wheat) in Bangladesh
Climate
Change
Current Adaptation Technologies for Crop Agriculture
key Elements
(e.g. Rice and wheat )
Hard Technology
Temperature
variations
Soft Technology
 Heat tolerant variety
 Training/capacity
 Early morning flowering variety
building
 Improve irrigation system/ supplementary
 Crop
irrigation

Irrigation
rotation
patterns
efficiency
(magic
pipe  Awareness raising
technology)
 Changing crop varieties
Erratic rainfall
 Submergence tolerant varieties
 Awareness raising
 Early warning system
 Capacity building
 Short term variety

Change of cropping
pattern
Adaptation Technologies in Agriculture
(Crop-Rice and Wheat) in Bangladesh
Climate Change
Current Adaptation Technologies for Crop Agriculture
key Elements
(e.g. Rice and wheat )
Hard Technology
Drought
Soft Technology
 Drought tolerant variety
 Awareness raising
 Rainwater harvesting for lean period
 Capacity building
 Excavation
and
re-excavation
of
water  Irrigation efficiency
channels, mini ponds for irrigation
 Change tilling practices
 Drip irrigation system
Flood
 Flood tolerant variety
 Awareness raising
 Infrastructure e.g. flood control
 Capacity building
 Seed preservation
 Crop forecasting
 Early warning system
Salinity
 Saline tolerant variety
 Infrastructure
 Awareness raising
(protection of agriculture  Capacity building
land from intrusion of sea water)
Adaptation Technologies in Agriculture (Crop-Rice) in Bangladesh
Climate Tolerant Rice Varieties
Climate Related Stress
Flood (submergence)
Salinity in
Climate Tolerant Popular Growth Duration
Average Yield
Rice Variety
(Ton/Ha)
(days)
BRRI dhan 51
142-154
4
BRRI dhan 52
145-155
4.5
145
4.5
BRRI dhan 41
148
4.5
BRRI 28
140
6.0
BR 23
150
5.5
BRRI dhan 27
115
4
BRRI dhan 47
152
6.0
130-135
5.0
145
7.0
118
4.5
soil, surface BRRI dhan 40
and ground water
BINA-8
Drought
BRRI
dhan
55
(also
saline tolerant)
BRRI dhan 33
“Saline Tolerant Varieties” as the effective adaptation option
for Rice Farming in the most vulnerable Coastal Zone in Bangladesh
Popular saline tolerant
Rice varieties
Crop Season
Months
Salinity tolerant
level (ds/m)
BRRI 28
Boro
Dec-May
1-4
BRRI dhan 40
Aman
June-Dec
8-10
BRRI dhan 41
Aman
June-Dec
8-10
BRRI 23
Aman
June-Dec
8-10
BRRI dhan 47
Boro
Dec-May
8-10
Boro and Aman
Dec-May/
June-Dec
12-14
BINA-8
key Adaptation Technologies in Crop Agriculture in Bangladesh
 Stress (flood, drought and salinity) tolerant varieties
 Short duration crops
 Innovative farming practices (floating gardens, irrigation
efficiency)
 Crop diversification
 Changing/shifting cropping pattern
 Adjustments in irrigation system (excavation of mini-ponds,
supplementary irrigation)
 Cropping intensity (1, 2, 3, 4……crops in a year)
15
Adaptation Policy and Strategy
of the Government of Bangladesh

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan 2005

National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) 2004/2005

Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan
(BCCSAP, 2009)
 Food security, social protection and health
 Comprehensive Disaster Management
 Infrastructure
 Mitigation and low carbon development
 Research and knowledge management
 Capacity and institutions
16
Current Adaptation Governance: Conceptual Framework
Trusty Board
• Managing fund and
selection of adaptation
projects
• 15 members
MoEF
Adaptation
Actions/Projects
Line Ministries
Policy and
Strategy
•BCCSAP
• NAPA
CCT
Climate Finance
CTF
Technical
Committee
• review and
recommendation of
adaptation projects
Evaluation Team
BCRRF
High Level
Committe
e
NGO/CSOs
Communities
DoE
Department
s/Institutes
Implementing
Organizations
Some examples of Adaptation technology
in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Technology Case-1. Floating Gardens (Vegetable Farming)
• Adaptation technology in
practice: Flood Prone Areas
• Floating Bed Preparation
– Collection of materials (waterhyacinth and other aquatic
vegetation)
– Making a floating bed (May to
July)
• Farming crops and season
– Mostly vegetables, both
summer and winter
– Ball or cushion like structure
– Seedling raising
Some examples of Adaptation technology
in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Technology Case-1. Floating Gardens (Vegetable Farming)
• Growing vegetables
– Vegetables growing
People also grow vegetables
for own consumption and
sell surplus to the market
• Income
– Women earns 5 USD/Day
(May-June) for preparing
“Dolla” (small ball shaped
structure)
– Farmer earns 200 to 2000
USD/season depending on
the size of the floating bed
Some examples of Adaptation technology
in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Technology Case-2. Saline Tolerant Rice Variety
• Adaptation Technology in
practice: Coastal Zone
• Saline Tolerant Rice Variety
– BRRI 28 (mid 1990s to 2008)
– BRRI dhan 47 is saline resistant
variety
– BRRI 47 can resist 8-10 dS/m
(moderate level of salinity)
– About 5 tons/ha
– Duration about 150 days
Source:
Some examples of Adaptation technology
in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Technology Case 3. Traditional Adaptation Technology
• Homestead Vegetable
Garden on raised plinth
• Most of the farmers now
practice vegetable farming
Some examples of Adaptation technology
in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Technology Case 3. Traditional Adaptation Technology
• Vegetable farming at
different level (adapting
different degree of
salinity) of raised plinth
• Traditional practices in
coastal areas
• Mainly own consumption
• Alternate livelihoods
option under saline
condition
Some examples of Adaptation technology
in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Technology Case 3. Traditional Adaptation Technology
• Adaptation technology in
practice: Drought Prone
Areas
• Adjustments in irrigation for
both rice and vegetable
cultivation
• improve irrigation efficiency
in water scarcity areas
• small water reservoir in the
agriculture fields for irrigation
Mini ponds supplementary irrigation
Adaptation Projects in Agriculture Sector
• Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund
• Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund
Adaptation Projects in Agriculture
Budget (USD)
1
Innovation & Extension of rice based technology to
reduce the adverse impact of climate change.
0.75 Million
2
Stress tolerant rice, wheat, pulses & oil seed production,
processing & distribution project
3.1 Million
3
Innovation of Sustainable Crop System for Drought Prone 0.75 Million
and Coastal/saline Area to Face Climate Change Impact.
4
Innovation of various Crop System for Drought Prone and
Coastal/saline Area to Face Climate Change Impact
0.6 Million
5
Agriculture Adaptation in Climate Risk Prone Areas
22.5 Million
Thank you