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Challenges and Opportunities for Saline Agriculture in Coastal Bangladesh

Atiq Rahman
Department/Institute Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies (BCAS), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md. Nasir Uddin
Department/Institute Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies (BCAS), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study identified four climate change-induced factors that have direct impacts on coastal agricultural land and production in the study areas: SLR, cyclonic storm surges, tidal surges/waves, and coastal flooding. Salinity is one of the main constraints for regular crop production in the southern region. This study also discussed the opportunities for future coastal saline agriculture management. Analysis of data from tidal gauges revealed a significant rising trend in sea level in south coastal regions of Bangladesh during the period 1980–2010 (P < 0.000), with a rate of rise of 10.4 mm per year. Monthly analysis showed that the lowest trend (3.1 mm/year) was in May, and the highest trend (10.9 mm/year) was in November. Our study has found that coastal areas are being adversely affected by coastal floods, cyclones, storm surges, salinity ingression, and extreme events associated with climate change. The lives and livelihoods of the common people are severely affected by climate change stresses in all the study areas. The poor, women and marginal communities are particularly exposed and vulnerable to the impacts of these hazards. Agricultural land in coastal areas has been damaged due to soil salinization, flooding, rising seawater level, and scarcity of fresh water. Despite efforts to adapt, communities are on a sliding downward spiral due to increasing salinity. Our study has shown that during the dry (rabi) season irrigation with more saline canal water has significant adverse effects on the yield of maize, watermelon, and pumpkin (Murad et al. 2018). Our study has suggested that a disaster early warning system, better coastal afforestation and reforestation, embankment improvement, the growth of flood and salt-tolerant crops, and resilient crop management practices could help reduce the loss of agricultural production. Authorities should ensure the availability of quality agriculture inputs and equipment including seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, power tillers, pumps, and spray machines. A key intervention is the implementation of community-led adaptation techniques.

Keywords: Climate-induced, Salinity impacts agriculture, Identify opportunities, Coastal saline, Aagricultural management

Location: South coastal regions of Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-00-1980

End Date: 00-00-2010

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Water salinity

Objectives:

To show how climate-induced salinity impacts agriculture, and identify opportunities for future coastal saline agricultural management.

Methodology:

Bangladesh has 19 coastal districts (and 147 subdistricts), which extend over 47,150 sq km (around 32% of the total land area). About 35 million people (6.9 million households), or 28% of the country’s total population live in these areas (BBS 2011). The coastal zone can be classified based on three characteristics: the level of tidal fluctuation, the salinity of surface and groundwater, and the risks from cyclones, storm surges, and tidal influences (Brammer 2014). The 19 coastal districts have been further divided into the interior (7 districts, 48 subdistricts) and exposed (12 districts, 99 subdistricts) zones, with regard to distance from the coast or estuaries, under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) of the Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO). The coastal zone of Bangladesh is divided into three regions, the western zone (Ganges tidal plain), the central zone (Meghna deltaic plain), and the eastern zone (Chittagong coastal plain). The coastal zone is characterized by a vast network of rivers and channels, an enormous discharge of water with a huge amount of suspended sediment, many islands, a strong tidal influence, and tropical cyclones and storm surges (CCC 2016). About 70% of total farmers in coastal areas are sharecroppers while more than 53% of the total coastal population are functionally landless, live below the poverty line, and have no cultivable land (CCC 2016). This study reviewed the secondary literature and interviewed 10 key experts to quantify the drivers of salinity intrusion in the coastal belt of Bangladesh. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, experts were asked about: (a) causes of salinity, (b) salinity intrusion in coastal agriculture land, (c) the historical trend of coastal salinity intrusion, (d) the major impacts of soil salinity on coastal agriculture, and (e) saline agriculture management for sustainable development. In addition, we conducted a detailed spatial analysis of SLR, sea-level temperatures, and cyclones in coastal areas. Techniques were used to analyze and map SLR and track ocean warming in the Bengal basin. Daily tidal gauge SLR records for the period of 1980–2010 were collected from the hydrography department of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). To derive the annual SLR trends of ground observation stations, we used a simple linear regression model (Y = βX + α) in the R platform. To explore the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Bay of Bengal, we used the monthly HadISST V1.1 (1° × 1°) NetCDF dataset of 39 years (1980–2019), retrieved from the NCAR global climate guide data hub (NCAR 2020). Using these data, we developed a simple linear regression to identify the trend in ocean warming (SST) for the Basin area. Additionally, based on the ASTER NASA LPDAAC (30m) GDEMV3, we identified the SLR (0cmSLR, 40cmSLR, 80cmSLR, 1mSLR) affected crops land of coastal subdistricts using ArcGIS 10.5 platform. Community-based information and the grey literature were reviewed to collect key relevant information including the challenges and opportunities for coastal saline agriculture, coastal SLR and cyclonic storm surge induced salinity, and impacts on crop production. Local-level information was collected from 34 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) held at the most vulnerable subdistricts of 15 most vulnerable coastal districts. The clusters were selected through Geographic Information System- GIS mapping based on a gradient of salinity. All these FGDs were conducted based on the checklist developed to gain in-depth information on coastal climate change-induced extremes, impacts on agriculture, and types of community-led and exogenous adaptation measures practiced. A total of 15 stakeholder consultation workshops were conducted in the study districts. The synthesis research findings from subdistrict-level group discussions were presented in district-level consultation workshops. The findings from the local-level discussions and interviews were validated through these workshops. Based on the secondary and field observations, we prepared an opportunities matrix for future saline agriculture management in coastal Bangladesh.

Source of Information: www.taylorfrancis.com; ISBN: 978-0-367-62146-9 (hbk)

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.1201/9781003112327

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Our study has found that coastal areas are being adversely affected by the coastal floods, cyclones, storm surges, salinity ingression, and extreme events associated with climate change. The lives and livelihoods of the common people are severely affected by climate change stresses in all the study areas. The poor, women and marginal communities are particularly exposed and vulnerable to the impacts of these hazards. Agricultural land in coastal areas has been damaged due to soil salinization, flooding, rising seawater level, and scarcity of fresh water. Despite efforts to adapt, communities are on a sliding downward spiral due to increasing salinity. Our study has shown that during the dry (rabi) season irrigation with more saline canal water has significant adverse effects on the yield of maize, watermelon, and pumpkin (Murad et al. 2018). Our study has suggested that a disaster early warning system, better coastal afforestation and reforestation, embankment improvement, the growth of flood and salt-tolerant crops, and resilient crop management practices could help reduce the loss of agricultural production. Authorities should ensure the availability of quality agriculture inputs and equipment including seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, power tillers, pumps, and spray machines. A key intervention is the implementation of community-led adaptation techniques.

Knowledge Management: Journal, Report/Proceedings