Climate change will affect agri, food sectors in Bangladesh
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
FE Report
Experts observed that climate change will increase temperature, decrease availability of fresh water, scale up the sea level, trigger glacial melting in the Himalayas, frequency and intensity of natural calamities, and compel shifting of cropping zones in Bangladesh affecting agriculture and food sector.
Wais Kabir, executive Chairman of BRAC said the serious problems of soil degradation and desertification are likely to be exacerbated by climate change through accelerated erosion, fertility depletion, salinisation and acidification.
Wais Kabir was speaking as a chief guest at an inception meeting on Support to Agriculture Research for Climate Change Adaptation project in Bangladesh at BRAC centre INN in the capital Monday.
He added that the coastal belt would be severely affected and thus this region would face intense natural disasters in the form of floods, cyclones, storm surges and drought.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has approved a project named Support to Agricultural Research for Climate Adaptation in Bangladesh.
The objective of the project is development and adaptation of improved farming systems to increase farm output and ability of small and marginal farmers to adapt to adverse effects of climate change.
The experts suggested developing innovative mechanisms to scale up technical and financial support for the adaptation efforts of Bangladesh and strengthening institutional and policy mechanisms to promote and facilitate implementation of location-specific adaptation and mitigation practices.
These will promote adoption of proven sustainable technologies related to better soil, crop, livestock and fishery and water management in order to increase food productivity by enhancing efficiency of inputs such as fertiliser, water, energy and labour.
Referring to the IPCC forecasts, Zainul Abedin, who is also a scientist, said due to global warming, salinity intrusion would increase and "severely hamper our land, livelihood, food production, safe water and ecological balance".
He said according to WB, rice production could decline up to 30 percent due to climate change. "We must ensure food security for the people, particularly for the people of Bangladesh, through collective efforts."
"We have been finalizing an action plan for Bangladesh as a living document to face the adverse effects of climate change," he said.
Over 100 experts and policymakers from home and abroad are taking part in the meeting where research papers on adaptation and mitigation of climate change as well as addressing the food security issues would be presented in the two-day meeting.
Experts observed that climate change will increase temperature, decrease availability of fresh water, scale up the sea level, trigger glacial melting in the Himalayas, frequency and intensity of natural calamities, and compel shifting of cropping zones in Bangladesh affecting agriculture and food sector.
Wais Kabir, executive Chairman of BRAC said the serious problems of soil degradation and desertification are likely to be exacerbated by climate change through accelerated erosion, fertility depletion, salinisation and acidification.
Wais Kabir was speaking as a chief guest at an inception meeting on Support to Agriculture Research for Climate Change Adaptation project in Bangladesh at BRAC centre INN in the capital Monday.
He added that the coastal belt would be severely affected and thus this region would face intense natural disasters in the form of floods, cyclones, storm surges and drought.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has approved a project named Support to Agricultural Research for Climate Adaptation in Bangladesh.
The objective of the project is development and adaptation of improved farming systems to increase farm output and ability of small and marginal farmers to adapt to adverse effects of climate change.
The experts suggested developing innovative mechanisms to scale up technical and financial support for the adaptation efforts of Bangladesh and strengthening institutional and policy mechanisms to promote and facilitate implementation of location-specific adaptation and mitigation practices.
These will promote adoption of proven sustainable technologies related to better soil, crop, livestock and fishery and water management in order to increase food productivity by enhancing efficiency of inputs such as fertiliser, water, energy and labour.
Referring to the IPCC forecasts, Zainul Abedin, who is also a scientist, said due to global warming, salinity intrusion would increase and "severely hamper our land, livelihood, food production, safe water and ecological balance".
He said according to WB, rice production could decline up to 30 percent due to climate change. "We must ensure food security for the people, particularly for the people of Bangladesh, through collective efforts."
"We have been finalizing an action plan for Bangladesh as a living document to face the adverse effects of climate change," he said.
Over 100 experts and policymakers from home and abroad are taking part in the meeting where research papers on adaptation and mitigation of climate change as well as addressing the food security issues would be presented in the two-day meeting.