To protect Bangladesh's remarkable progress in agriculture productivity from the threat of climate change, the government and World Bank Group jointly launched climate-smart farming practices on Wednesday.
Initiating Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Country Profile and Climate-Smart Investment Plan (CSIP) for Bangladesh, the organisers said it will generate three types of benefit - greater productivity, enhance resilience and lowering emission, which are keys to cope with the challenges the global warming imposes.
At the same time, the initiative will bring all the stakeholders under one umbrella and integrate their plans into actions by choosing best smart investment policy for further strengthening the country's food security.
Speaking as the chief guest, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda welcomed the move, saying that the government is also committed to the CSA and has a vision of green growth dynamics focused in our 7th Five Year Plan.
"Concept focuses us on moving forward so we can simultaneously increase productivity and be self-sufficient in the production of our most important commodities, build resilience and adapt to climate change and reduce, where possible, our environmental footprint," he said.
Director of the bank's Agriculture Global Practice Martien Van Nieuwkoop said Bangladesh has been doing well in agriculture production, rice in particular and the future progress is also bright driven by increase urbanisation and diversification of high-valued agriculture products.
"But there is no room for complacency. Overall Bangladesh's food system is extremely vulnerable to climate change as it ranked 131 out 188 countries in the vulnerability index. On readiness front in response to climate change, it ranked 167," he said.
He mentioned that agriculture accounts for 39 per cent of the country's green house emission. He also suggested for urgent actions to put Bangladesh's agriculture sector on a more resilient footing.
World Bank country director Qimiao Fan hailed Bangladesh's progress in the agriculture sector over the years.
She said climate smart agriculture concept reflects an ambition to strengthen the integration of agriculture development and climate change responsiveness.
To address various challenges facing by farming sector in an integrated way, the World Bank is working all around the work using the lens of climate smart agriculture practices, she said.
"This concept allows us to focus simultaneously on three most important dimensions of modern agriculture development - greater productivity, enhance resilience and lower emission. We're committed to scaling up the practices for countries through a mix of advisory services, operational supports, analytical works and other forms of engagement," Mrs Qimiao Fan, also country director for Bhutan and Nepal, said
Secretary-in-Charge for the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MoFL) Md Raisul Alam Mondal and additional secretary of Economic Relations Division of Ministry of Finance Mahmuda Begum also spoke on the occasion.
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