What disaster management means for agriculture

The growing economy of Bangladesh is highly dependent on the agriculture sector and this sector alone accounts for about 20 per cent of the GDP (gross domestic product) and about 60 per cent of our population depends on agriculture for livelihood. But this sector is extremely vulnerable to disaster and climate-induced risks.
As 80 per cent of our land area is floodplain and several tributaries are flowing into the Bay of Bengal, every year different kinds of hazards or disasters such as erratic rainfall, flooding, salinity, cyclone, drought, river erosion, tropical storms, water logging, drainage congestion etc are occurring.
The rise in temperature leading to climate variability is increasing the intensity of different disasters. In the northwest, flash flood and drought are more common while the coastal areas in the south are prone to salinity and tidal surges. People in these areas often lose their properties to these unpredictable disasters. The rise in temperature has driven down crop production, as every crop has a temperature range for their vegetative and reproductive growth. Most of the time farmers produce their crops by spending their entire earnings. They lose everything, if any disaster strikes.
Frequent disasters and their impact on agriculture are finally creating livelihood risks like unemployment, poverty, hunger, malnutrition, loss of food production, pressure on food prices, dependence on food imports and food aid, migration etc. And for this reason, ultimately food self-sufficiency and security can be hampered. Ensuring food for all has been adopted in the 'Vision 2021' of the government. But agricultural loss due to any disaster is a big hurdle to attaining food autarky. Though disasters cannot be prevented, they can be mitigated. So, if we do not take necessary steps to limit the disaster impact, the loss will be a burden one day. Introduction of new technologies and adequate training of farmers to enhance agricultural production in the disaster-prone areas, knowledge on disaster impacts and vulnerabilities, sustainable management of natural resources, socioeconomics and adaptation options from the community level to the national level are crucial. We need to ensure strengthening disaster risk reduction activities and climate change mechanism in the agricultural sector, sustained policy support, agronomic manipulations, research, sustainable land management, early warning, cropping pattern, irrigation techniques, green belt projects in coastal areas and sustainable climate-resilient agriculture. Besides, we also need to ensure immediate aid to the disaster victims, shifting planting dates, multi-crop cultivation in a field, short duration crop cultivation for reducing vulnerabilities, micro-insurance or crop insurance, subsidies, supply of inputs, availability of quality seeds etc.  
Our country is trying to cope with these natural hazards and already we have different initiatives meant for agricultural development. These are agricultural research programmes, coastal embankment projects, comprehensive disaster management projects, disaster preparedness and strategies on adaptation to climate change, irrigation schemes, flood management schemes, flood protection and drainage schemes, coastal 'greenbelt' projects etc. However, proper implementation of related programmes from the national level to the local level is vital for food security right now.
Suraiya Yasmin studies at the Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies (IDMVS), Dhaka University. Email: suraiya.yasmin08@gmail.com. Md. Imranur Rahman is Community Development Assistant,
UNDP Bangladesh.
 shovon080403@gmail.com