The Padma Paradox: Irrigation Benefits and Waterlogging Challenges Drive CSA Adoption in Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajec.v4i2.4020Keywords:
Bangladesh, CSA, Irrigation, The Padma, WaterloggingAbstract
The Padma River is one of the prime irrigation sources for Bangladesh. But the impacts of climate change are making it difficult to use water resources to enhance agricultural productivity properly. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices are the most notable among the proposed solutions. This paper examines the adoption of CSA approach within the territory under Dohar sub-district of Padma River Basin. This study collected data from 180 farmer families through personal interviews with a large body of literature. The water of Padma River is generally suitable for agricultural purposes because the pH level is periodically found within the range normal for plant growth. However, the variable oxygen levels in water affect aquatic organisms and also crops. Besides, waterlogged low-lying topography coupled with poor drainage facilities often creates problems like monsoon-induced waterlogging making it tough to successfully manage crops. Our study highlights that CSA has so many advantages like enhanced crop diversity and nutrition as well as reduced costs, but several factors hinder its adoption. The problems identified include waterlogging stresses, temperature increases, and limited awareness of stress-tolerant varieties. Overcoming these challenges requires support through location-specific agroforestry initiatives, assistance to local private farms, and financial support for poly-shed farming. To get the full potential of CSA, we suggest a strategic approach to this end- extension services that are well-directed and include more access to climate information as well as financial support for farmers. Through the ways identified in alleviating the above-mentioned difficulties Bangladesh can enhance agricultural resilience which indeed represents a milestone in reducing vulnerability to climate change and ensuring food security for its people.
Downloads
References
Acharyya, A. (2021). Integrating climate change adaptation and vulnerability reduction for sustainable development in South Asia and Africa. In M. A. Cole & S. Shafik (Eds.), Economic effects of natural disasters: Theoretical foundations, methods, and tools (pp. 547–557). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817465-4.00032-7
Ahmed, I., Hasan, M. M., & Shafi, D. (2020). Climate resilience in agriculture: A study on the adaptation measures of farmers in coastal Bangladesh. Sustainability, 12(19), 8214.
Akanda, M. G. R., & Howlader, M. S. (2015). Coastal farmers’ perception of climate change effects on agriculture at Galachipa Upazila under Patuakhali District of Bangladesh. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, 15(4), 10.
Akter, A., Geng, X., Mwalupaso, E. G., Lu, H., Hoque, F., Ndungu, K. M., & Abbas, Q. (2022). Income and yield effects of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption in flood prone areas of Bangladesh: Farm level evidence. Climate Risk Management, 37, 100455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2022.100455
Akter, A., Mwalupaso, G. E., Wang, S., Jahan, M. S., & Geng, X. (2023). Towards climate action at farm-level: Distinguishing complements and substitutes among climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) in flood prone areas. Climate Risk Management, 40, 100491.
Alam, M., Ahammad, R., Nandy, P., & Rahman, S. (2013). Coastal livelihood adaptation in changing climate: Bangladesh experience of NAPA priority project implementation. In R. Shaw & R. Ahammad (Eds.), Climate change adaptation actions in Bangladesh (pp. 253–276). Springer Japan.
Angelakis, A. N., & Snyder, S. A. (2015). Wastewater treatment and reuse: Past, present, and future. Water, 7(9), 4887–4895. https://doi.org/10.3390/w7094887
Arfanuzzaman, M., Mamnun, N., Islam, M., Dilshad, T., & Syed, M. (2016). Evaluation of adaptation practices in the agriculture sector of Bangladesh: An ecosystem-based assessment. Climate, 4(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli4010011
Ashiea, W. B., Awewomomb, J., Etteya, E. N. Y. O., Opokua, F., & Akotoa, O. (2024). Assessment of irrigation water quality for vegetable farming in peri-urban Kumasi. Heliyon, 10(3), e24913.
Azadi, H., Moghaddam, S. M., Burkart, S., Mahmoudi, H., Van Passel, S., Kurban, A., & Lopez-Carr, D. (2021). Rethinking resilient agriculture: From climate-smart agriculture to vulnerable-smart agriculture. Journal of Cleaner Production, 319.
Baas, S., & Ramasamy, S. (2008). Community-based adaptation in action: A case study from Bangladesh. FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/a-i0481e.pdf
Barua, P., Rahman, S., & Barua, M. (2021). Sustainable management of agriculture products value chain in response to climate change for the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh. Modern Supply Chain Research and Applications, 3(2), 2631-3871. https://doi.org/10.1108/MSCRA-07-2020-0020
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). (2019). Yearbook of agricultural statistics 2019. Statistics and Informatics Division (SID), Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). (2022). Yearbook of agricultural statistics 2020. Statistics and Informatics Division (SID), Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh.
Branca, G., McCarthy, N., Lipper, L., & Jolejole, M. C. (2011). Climate smart agriculture: A synthesis of empirical evidence of food security and mitigation benefits from improved cropland management. Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture Series, 3, 1–42.
Brüssow, K., Faße, A., & Grote, U. (2017). Implications of climate-smart strategy adoption by farm households for food security in Tanzania. Food Security, 9(6), 1203–1218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-017-0731-y
Deputy Director. (2023). Annual report 2021-22. Department of Agriculture Extension, Dhaka.
Department of Environment. (2023). Yearbook of environmental statistics 2023. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bangladesh.
Ehiagbonare, J. E., & Ogunrinde, Y. O. (2010). Physico-chemical analysis of fish pond water in Okada and its environments, Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology, 9(36), 5922–5928.
Ellis, N. R., & Tschakert, P. (2019). Triple-wins as pathways to transformation? A critical review. Geoforum, 103, 167–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2019.04.018
Ema, N. S., Hossain, M. S., Uddin, M. N., Rahman, M. M., & Hossain, Z. (2020). Study of the climate change impact on fishers’ livelihood near the Padma River in Munshiganj, Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 6(4), 777–784. https://doi.org/10.3329/ajmbr.v6i4.51246
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). (2020). FAOSTAT statistical database. Rome, Italy.
Farouque, M., & Sarker, M. (2018). Farmers’ knowledge and practice of organic vegetable cultivation: A field-level study of two villages from Bangladesh. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 10(6), 99–107.
Hamid, A., Khanam, M., & Islam, A. K. M. R. (2021). Surface and ground water quality report 2021. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Hanson, K. L., Volpe, L. C., Kolodinsky, J., Hwang, G., Wang, W., Jilcott, P. S. B., Sitaker, M., Ammerman, A. S., & Seguin, R. A. (2019). Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding fruits and vegetables among cost-offset community-supported agriculture (CSA) applicants, purchasers, and a comparison sample. Nutrients, 11(6), Article 1320. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061320
Haque, M. A., & Tareq, S. M. (2020). Climate-smart agricultural practices and food security in Bangladesh. Environmental Challenges, 5(4), 70–79.
Haque, M. I. (2008). Water resource management in Bangladesh: Anushilan, Chuadanga and Dhaka. Department of Environment.
Haritash, A. K., Gaur, S., & Garg, S. (2016). Assessment of water quality and suitability analysis of River Ganga in Rishikesh, India. Applied Water Science, 6, 383–392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-014-0235-1
Hasan, I., & Mamun, H. (2023). The role of smallholder farmers in creating sustainable agricultural supply chains: A Bangladesh perspective. International Supply Chain Technology Journal, 9(5), 4.
Hasan, M. K., Desiere, S., D’Haese, M., & Kumar, L. (2018). Impact of climate-smart agriculture adoption on the food security of coastal farmers in Bangladesh. Food Security, 10, 1073–1088. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-018-0824-1
Hasan, S. S., Ashek, M., Mithun, K. G., & Khalil, M. I. (2017). Assessing farmers’ opinions toward floating agriculture as a means of cleaner production: A case of Barisal District, Bangladesh. British Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 20(6), 1–14.
Hashem, M., & Qi, X. (2021). Treated wastewater irrigation—a review. Water, 13, Article 1527. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13111527
Hassan, A. W. R., Ahmed, F. R. S., & Siddiqui, M. R. A. (2019). Climate-resilient agriculture in coastal and floodplain regions of Bangladesh. Aparna Barman, Manusher Jonno Foundation.
Hassan, K., Islam, M. N., Billah, M., Islam, M., & Jahan, M. (2024). Effective extension and access to education drive optimal adoption of climate-smart agriculture interventions in affected tidal floodplains: A case study. Heliyon, 10, Article e31616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31616
Holden, S. T., Fisher, M., Katengeza, S. P., & Thierfelder, C. (2018). Can lead farmers reveal the adoption potential of conservation agriculture? The case of Malawi. Land Use Policy, 76, 113–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.04.048
Huq, N., Hugé, J., Boon, E., & Gain, A. (2015). Climate change impacts in agricultural communities in rural areas of coastal Bangladesh: A tale of many stories. Sustainability, 7(7), 8437–8460. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7078437
Imran, M. A., Ali, A., Ashfaq, M., Hassan, S., Culas, R., & Ma, C. (2019). Impact of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) through Sustainable Irrigation Management on Resource Use Efficiency: A Sustainable Production Alternative for Cotton. Land Use Policy, 88, 104113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104113
Ishtiaque, A., Krupnik, T. J., Krishna, V., Uddin, M. N., Aryal, J. P., Srivastava, A. K., Kumar, S., Shahzad, M. F., Bhatt, R., Gardezi, M., Bahinipati, C. S., Nazu, S. B., Ghimire, R., Anik, A. R., Sapkota, T. B., Ghosh, M., Subedi, R., Sardar, A., Uddin, K. M. Z., Khatri-Chhetri, A., Rahman, M. S., Singh, B., & Jain, M. (2024). Overcoming barriers to climate-smart agriculture in South Asia. Nature Climate Change, 14(2), 111–113. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01905-z
Islam, A. R. M. T. (2016). Assessment of Fluvial Channel Dynamics of Padma River in Northwestern Bangladesh. Universal Journal of Geoscience, 4, 41-49. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujg.2016.040204
Islam, M. A., Munir, M. S., Bashar, M. A., Sumon, K. A., Kamruzzaman, M., & Mahmud, Y. (2021). Climate Change and Anthropogenic Interferences for the Morphological Changes of the Padma River in Bangladesh. American Journal of Climate Change, 10, 167-184. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajcc.2021.102008
Jha, C. K., & Gupta, V. (2021). Farmer’s Perception and Factors Determining the Adaptation Decisions to Cope with Climate Change: An Evidence from Rural India. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 10, 100112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2021.100112
Kabir, M. H., & Rainis, R. (2015). Adoption and Intensity of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Vegetable Farming in Bangladesh: An Approach to Sustainable Agricultural Development. Environmental Development and Sustainability, 17, 1413-1429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-014-9613-y
Kamal, M. M., Saleheen, K. M. N., Islam, M. S., & Ahmed, M. B. (2018). Adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Practices by the Vegetable Growers at Sadar Upazila under Jhenaidah District. Journal of Bangladesh Agricultural University, 16, 366-371. https://doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v16i3.39394
KD (Krishi Diary). (2023). Agricultural Information Service (AIS), MOA, Bangladesh.
KD (Krishi Diary). (2024). Agricultural Information Service (AIS), MOA, Bangladesh.
Khatri-Chhetri, A., Aggarwal, P. K., Joshi, P. K., & Vyas, S. (2017). Farmers’ Prioritization of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Technologies. Agricultural Systems, 151, 184-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2016.10.010
Kpadonou, R. A. B., Owiyo, T., Barbier, B., Denton, F., Rutabingwa, F., & Kiema, A. (2017). Advancing climate-smart agriculture in developing drylands: Joint analysis of the adoption of multiple on-farm soil and water conservation technologies in West African Sahel. Land Use Policy, 61, 196-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.10.050
Kuijpers, R. (2020). Integrated Value Chain Development: Evidence from Bangladesh. Food Policy, 97, 101916.
Mahashin, M. (2019). Impact of climate smart agriculture on farmers’ livelihoods (Doctoral dissertation). Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207.
Mahashin, M., & Roy, R. (2017). Mapping practices and technologies of climate-smart agriculture in Bangladesh. Journal of Environmental Science and Natural Resources, 10(2), 29-37.
Mandal, S. (2016). Climate is changing: Food and agriculture must too: A keynote paper presented by M. A Sattar Mandal, in the seminar organized by Ministry of Agriculture, during World Food Day, 16th October 2016.
Mazvimavi, K., & Twomlow, S. (2009). Socioeconomic and institutional factors influencing adoption of conservation farming by vulnerable households in Zimbabwe. Agricultural Systems, 101, 20-29.
McLean, D. G., Vasquez, J. A., Oberhagemann, K., & Sarker, M. H. (2012). Padma river morphodynamics near Padma Bridge. River Flow (pp. 741-747). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
MOA. (2023). Annual report 2022-23 FY. Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh.
MoEF. (2009). Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2009. Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, 18, 76pp.
Momtaz, H., Alam, A. K. M. R., & Hoque, S. (2010). A comparative study of phytoplankton diversity in relation to water quality of migratory birds visiting and non-visiting wetlands of Savar. Bangladesh Journal of Environmental Research, 8, 31-38.
Nwanze, K. F., & Fan, S. (2016). Climate change and agriculture: Strengthening the role of smallholders. In Global Food Policy Report (pp. 13-21). International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC.
Rahman, T., Ara, S., & Khan, N. A. (2020). Agro-information service and information-seeking behaviour of small-scale farmers in rural Bangladesh. Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, 30(1-2), 175-194. https://doi.org/10.1177/1018529120977259
Rizzo, G., Migliore, G., Schifani, G., & Vecchio, R. (2023). Key factors influencing farmers’ adoption of sustainable innovations: A systematic literature review and research agenda. Organic Agriculture, 14(1), 5-84. https://doi.org/10.1007/S13165-023-00440-7
Rokonuzzaman, M., Monira, M., Haque, M., Hossain, & Barau, A. A. (2019). Sustainability of organic vegetable farming in rural Bangladesh. Asia Pacific Journal of Sustainable Agriculture Food and Energy, 7(1), 1–9.
Sargani, G. R., Zhou, D., Raza, M. H., & Wei, Y. (2020). Sustainable entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector: The nexus of the triple bottom line measurement approach. Sustainability, 12(8), 3275. doi.org/10.3390/su12083275
Sarker, M. A., Hoque, M., Chowdhury, A. H., & Ferdous, Z. (2021). Can organic agriculture feed the smallholders? Experience from rural Bangladesh. Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, 31(1), 91-107. https://doi.org/10.1177/24551333211036938
Swami, S. (2019). Impacts of irrigation and rainfall on agricultural production under climate change. International Journal of Chemical Studies, 7(3), 750-752.
Tanti, P. C., & Jena, P. R. (2023). Perception on climate change, access to extension service and energy sources determining adoption of climate-smart practices: A multivariate approach. Journal of Arid Environments, 212, 104961. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.104961
Tatlidil, F. F., Boz, I., & Tatlidil, H. (2009). Farmers perception of sustainable agriculture and its determinants: A case study in Kahramanmaras Province of Turkey. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 11, 1091-1106.
Upazila Agriculture Office. (2023). Annual report 2021-22. Department of Agriculture Extension, Dohar, Dhaka.
Wakweya, R. B. (2023). Challenges and prospects of adopting climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies: Implications for food security. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 14, 100698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100698
World Bank. (2015). Future of food: Shaping a climate-smart global food system (p. 32). The World Bank.
World Bank. (2015a). Gender in climate-smart agriculture: Module 18 for the Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook. Washington, DC.
Westermann, O., Förch, W., Thornton, P., Koerner, J., Cramer, L., & Campbell, B. M. (2018). Scaling up agricultural interventions: Case studies of climate-smart agriculture. Agricultural Systems, 165, 283-293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2018.07.007
Yeasmin, F., Yasmin, S., & Nahar, K. (2018). Factors influencing farmers’ practices in using pesticide for vegetable cultivation at Sadar Upazila of Gazipur district in Bangladesh. Progressive Agriculture, 29(3), 259–266.
Zakaria, A., Alhassan, S. I., Kuwornu, J. K., Azumah, S. B., & Derkyi, M. A. (2020). Factors influencing the adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies among rice farmers in northern Ghana. Earth Systems and Environment, 4, 257-271.
Zhao, J., Liu, D., & Huang, R. (2023). A review of climate-smart agriculture: Recent advancements, challenges, and future directions. Sustainability, 15, 3404.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Md Akter Faruk Fuad, Md. Safiul Islam Afrad, Foyez Ahmed Prodhan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
