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Use of Soil Resource Data for Agricultural Development Planning in Bangladesh

S. M. Saheed
Director
Soil Resources Development Institute, Farmgate, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Land and soil are the most valued natural resources for Bangladesh in particular and for any country in general. In Bangladesh, they are either over-exploited or under-utilized due to uneven land-man ratio or poor natural resource management. To attain food security and improved living standard of the people, optimum use of land and maintenance of its productivity at a sustainable level are desirable. For this, efficient planning to ensure the utilization of full production potentials of the land is a pre-requisite. But a sound development planning requires detailed information of physical conditions such as soil and land characteristics in addition to socio-economic conditions. The soils of floodplains occupying 80% of the country’s total area vary at short distance in cropping potentials due to changes in topography, drainage and complexity of soil patterns. Problem of low organic matter, low nutrient status, specific nutrient deficiencies, strong acidity, salinity or alkalinity, toxicity and hazards of floods, droughts, water-logging, erosion, cyclone, etc. locally overwhelm the land use potentials. As such site specific information for preparing micro level plans to overcome those location specific problems became imperative. The usefulness of “Land and Soil Resources Utilization Guide” was proved as an important tool of micro level planning and viable vehicle of agro technology transfer and diffusion.

Keywords: Soil resources, Land, Production potential, Micro planning

Location: Throughout Bangladesh

Start Date: 21-12-1991

End Date: 08-03-1992

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Commodity: Land management

Objectives:

Bangladesh possesses a sizable stock of data bases on soil resources, particularly at regional levels. They comprise basic information on relief, landform, drainage and inundation and physical quality of soil and land as the physical resource bases to serve as the planning instrument for development, spatially for increased agricultural production. These information are essential prerequisites for planning development at both micro and macro level. The study aims to introduce the readers at large to this resource base and make them aware of its value as a planning tool for either small or large area development interventions.

Methodology:

The methodology for evaluation of existing soil resources data bases and elucidation of the value of a local level soil resource data base as the planning tool for micro-level development is based on the following steps: (a) Review of the existing soil survey reports and maps, relevant information bases and reports derived from soil survey data and literatures on soil and land resources data base of local and international sources. (b) Examination of various special study reports on agriculture, land use and environment in particular. (c) Study of the thana/upazila based ‘land and soil resources utilization guide’ program. (d) Use of authors own experiences of soil surveys in Bangladesh and the Upazila Nirdeshika training programme for DAE personnel of the five pilot upazilas (Sibpur of Narsingdi, Gabtali of Bogra, Ishurdi of Pabna, Dighalia of Khulna and Begumganj of Noakhali districts).

Source of Information: Use of Soil resource data for agricultural development planning in Bangladesh. 1992. A seminar paper made by S. M. Saheed presented in 14th Senior Staff Course, BPATC, Saver, Dhaka.

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1. Government

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The field surveys and analysis of soils carried out by SRDI survey staff provided a large number of interesting findings such as soil and land type distribution, trends of nutrient contents of soils, agricultural constraints, trends of land utilization, land-man ratio, pattern and distribution of settlement. Problem of low organic matter, low nutrient status, specific nutrient deficiencies, strong acidity, salinity or alkalinity, toxicity and hazards of floods, droughts, water-logging, erosion, cyclone were identified locally overwhelmed land use potentials. Site specific information for preparing micro level plans to overcome those problems became imperative. In a resource constraint country like Bangladesh we have to make optimum use of our scare resources by introducing a process of micro level development planning in order to maintain and conserve the last resort through appropriate management system. The usefulness of “Land and Soil Resources Utilization Guide” was proved as an important tool of micro level planning and viable vehicle of agro technology transfer and diffusion. Introduction of an appropriate method of planning system along with strong institutional, legal, and policy supports would be necessary. An efficient land use planning based on site specific soil resource information would ensure the most efficient utilization and management of land.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings