Agricultural Adaptation Options against Adverse Effect of Climate Change in Shyamnagar Upazila in the Satkhira District, Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is a developing country and its economy depends largely on agriculture but the economic sector is most vulnerable to climate change and variability. This survey study was intended to know the nature of hazards, identify and analyze the adaptation options to climate change in Shyamnagar Upazila in the Satkhira district. Data were collected from the farmers of five selected villages namely Ramjannagar, Padmapukur, Munshiganj, Kashimari, and Koikhali from Shyamnagar Upazila in the Satkhira district during the period of August, 2016 to December, 2016 using open questionnaire process. The sample size was 100 farmers drawn from a population of 650 inhabitans using random sampling technique. Data were processed and analyzed using Excel-2007 and SPSS-16. The study found that the intensity of salinity has increased and most of the respondents observed that some crops were more damaged than they were in the past and some other hazards (flood, cyclone, rainfall) were posing new threat by changing their nature. About 86% of the respondents perceived and adapted to climate change. There were different adaptation options viz.  sorjan method, crop rotation, saline tolerant varieties, crop diversification, mini pond, adjusting planting time, to name a few introduced for agricultural activities and also enhancing agricultural production and improving soil health. In the study area, problems farmers were ranked using Problem Confrontation Index (PCI), which showed that “lack of available water” (PCI-291) ranked 1st “shortage of cultivable land” (PCI-287) 2nd, and “unpredicted weather” (PCI-284) 3rd. The adaptation options were measured by Adaptation Strategy Index (ASI) method, which ranked “sorjan method” (ASI-287) first, “Crop rotation”(ASI-242) 2nd, and “saline tolerant varieties” (ASI-232) 3rd, the tree being attractive adaptation options in the study area. About 86% of the respondents followed Boro rice-Vegetables-T. aman cropping pattern. There were some barriers to adaptation measures like lack of irrigation facilities (94% of respondents), lack of knowledge (90%) and poor soils (90%) on the top. For water harvesting adaptation options farmers benefited from diverse assistance in digging mini-pond in crop field, water reserve in narrow canal in crop field. However, due to the introduction of innovated adaptation techniques the said threats have been mitigated to a greater extent. And, this has become possible only for the coordinated support from the government, development partners (NGOs, WB, FAO) and local people.