1. Expert Meeting on Technology Road Maps
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)

2. 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 Bangladesh
Adaptation Policy and Strategy of the Government of Bangladesh
Some examples of Adaptation technology in Agriculture in Bangladesh

3. 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)

4. Cyclone
Storm surge, salinity
Drought
Climate Induced Major Hazards That Affect Agriculture Sector in Bangladesh
Flood
Water logging
Bank Erosion
Bank erosion
Mazumder, 2011

5. 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

6. Climate Induced Major Hazards That Affect Bangladesh

7. Climate Induced Major Hazards That Affect Bangladesh
Source: BWDB

8. That Affect Bangladesh
Climate Induced
Major Hazards
That Affect Bangladesh
Sea Level Rise
1 Meter Sea Level Rise

9. Salinity Intrusion in agriculture fields (SOIL)
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

10. How climate change induced hazards currently affects
agriculture practices in the coast of Bangladesh
Impacts on
Agriculture
sector
Vulnerability to LIVELIHOOD
Heavy rainfall in short
time cause damage to crop
Excessive rainfall submerge
the vegetables and crops for
several days
Damages of crops, fisheries
and livestock
No freshwater for crops
Reduce crop
production
due to salinity in soil
Reduced yields
loss of crops
Cyclone and Storm surge
Late and lack of rainfall
Tidal surge and
Salinity intrusion
excessive rainfall
(sky flood!)
Climate Change
Overflows surface
water resources
Lack of freshwater for
irrigation
Low level of water
in ponds and mini ponds
Water quality and
quantity
Salinity in surface water
huge surface runoff
Quality of water
deteriorates
Impacts on
water
sector
Vulnerability to LIVELIHOODS

11. Current Adaptation Technologies for Crop Agriculture
Adaptation Technologies for Agriculture (Crop-Rice and Wheat) in Bangladesh
Climate Change key Elements
Current Adaptation Technologies for Crop Agriculture
(e.g. Rice and wheat )
Hard Technology
Soft Technology
Temperature variations
Heat tolerant variety
Early morning flowering variety
Improve irrigation system/ supplementary irrigation
Irrigation efficiency (magic pipe technology)
Changing crop varieties
Training/capacity building
Crop rotation patterns
Awareness raising
Erratic rainfall
Submergence tolerant varieties
Early warning system
Short term variety
Capacity building
Change of cropping pattern

12. Adaptation Technologies in Agriculture
(Crop-Rice and Wheat) in Bangladesh
Climate Change key Elements
Current Adaptation Technologies for Crop Agriculture
(e.g. Rice and wheat )
Hard Technology
Soft Technology
Drought
Drought tolerant variety
Rainwater harvesting for lean period
Excavation and re-excavation of water channels, mini ponds for irrigation
Change tilling practices
Drip irrigation system
Awareness raising
Capacity building
Irrigation efficiency
Flood
Flood tolerant variety
Infrastructure e.g. flood control
Seed preservation
Early warning system
Crop forecasting
Salinity
Saline tolerant variety
Infrastructure (protection of agriculture land from intrusion of sea water)

13. Adaptation Technologies in Agriculture (Crop-Rice) in Bangladesh
Climate Tolerant Rice Varieties
Climate Related Stress
Climate Tolerant Popular Rice Variety
Growth Duration
(days)
Average Yield
(Ton/Ha)
Flood (submergence)
BRRI dhan 51 4
BRRI dhan 52
4.5
Salinity in soil, surface and ground water
BRRI dhan 40
145
BRRI dhan 41
148
BRRI 28
140
6.0
BR 23
150
5.5
BRRI dhan 27
115
BRRI dhan 47
152
BINA-8
5.0
Drought
BRRI dhan 55 (also saline tolerant)
7.0
BRRI dhan 33
118
BRRI dhan 39
122

14. “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
BRRI 23
BRRI dhan 47
BINA-8
Boro and Aman
Dec-May/
12-14

15. 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)

16. 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

17. Current Adaptation Governance: Conceptual Framework
Trusty Board
Managing fund and selection of adaptation projects
15 members
Adaptation Actions/Projects
MoEF
Line Ministries
Technical Committee
review and recommendation of adaptation projects
CTF
Policy and Strategy
BCCSAP
NAPA
CCT
Climate Finance
Evaluation Team
BCRRF
High Level Committee
DoE
Departments/Institutes
Implementing
Organizations
NGO/CSOs
Communities

18. Some examples of Adaptation technology in Agriculture in Bangladesh
Adaptation technology in practice: Flood Prone Areas
Floating Bed Preparation
Collection of materials (water-hyacinth 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
Technology Case-1. Floating Gardens (Vegetable Farming)

19. 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

20. 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:

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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 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

25. Thank you