ActionAid Bangladesh; June 09, 2024: As the number of rivers in the country is decreasing at an alarming rate, water bodies are being encroached upon and become unusable. Groundwater is going down; land pollution is increasing and the whole country is at risk of drought. As a result, the country's agricultural system is now facing the greatest threat. In such a situation, sustainable agricultural practices are needed for drought resilience. Realistic and well-planned projects should be taken considering the needs of marginalized farmers and communities. Then the country's land will be saved, farmers will be saved, agriculture will be saved, and the environment will be saved.
The speakers made the remarks at a seminar titled 'Sustainable Agricultural Practices for Drought Resilience’ held at the Directorate of Services in the capital on Sunday (June 9). The event was jointly organized by ActionAid Bangladesh and Nature Conservation Management (NACOM). The event was co-hosted by Right to Food Bangladesh, Food Security Network, Kendriya Krishi Maitri and Bangladesh Organic Agriculture Network (BOAN).
Through this seminar, the dynamics of food security and the state of agriculture under the impact of drought in the country were discussed and reviewed. Director General, Department of Environment Dr. Abdul Hameed presided over the function.
Amit Ranjan Dey, Deputy Manager of ActionAid Bangladesh presented a presentation on 'Drought Resilience: Integrating Equity, Governance, Innovation and Sustainability'; Dr. Rob Mollah, Chairman of Nature Conservation Management (NACOM) presented on 'Agro-Ecological Resilience: Learning from Coastal Landscape' and Dr. Asaduzzaman, former research director of Bangladesh Development Research Institute (BIDS) presented on 'Agriculture and Climate Change Nexus: Ensuring Food Security in Bangladesh'
Kazi Morshed Alam, head of program and engagement of ActionAid Bangladesh, moderated a panel discussion. Nirmal Das, assistant director of Wave Foundation; Kazi Afzal Hossain, additional director of the Department of Agricultural Extension; Nazim Uddin, Scientist of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Rezaul Karim Siddique, vice-president of Food Safety Network and a prominent media personality.
Anwar Faruque, former senior secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, urged the government to take practical projects keeping in mind the marginal farmers. He said, ‘Agriculture should be farmer friendly. We must plan in such a way that marginal farmers survive. The of the land has to be enhanced by controlling soil pollution, increasing fertility, preventing desertification and freeing the land from the adverse effects of climate change. Steps must be taken now to analyze what the impact will be in the next 50 years.’
Bangladesh Krishi Bank Chairman Md Nasiruzzaman has urged the government to declare the drought-prone areas of the country as' crisis areas.
He Said, ‘Be it North Bengal or South Bengal, desertification has taken a terrible shape in the entire country. At one time there were more than 800 rivers in the country. Most of the rivers have dried up. As many as 310 rivers are alive. The latest research in the country says that 3:08 million hectares of land are severely affected. The organic matter and fertility of the soil have decreased from the damaged land. As a result, our crops are not yielding the expected results. We need to increase our water use. We must increase pond mining, increase organic fertilizer subsidy and take well-planned initiatives to increase groundwater. And you have to be diligent in cultivating crops. '
Director General of Department of Environment Dr. Abdul Hamid said, ‘This is our land, our future. We all need to be resilient. We are dealing with drought keeping in mind the global situation. Our floating agriculture is being followed in many countries. However, there is an opportunity to make agriculture more sustainable under the influence of climate. Agriculture is directly related to food security. For this, agricultural and non-agricultural land management, water management, technology and knowledge transfer will have to be done. For this, inclusive, gender-supportive laws and policies must be created and implemented.’
Syeda Tasbiha Dewan Kabir, associate programme officer of ActionAid Bangladesh, moderated the event. Officials from the Department of Environment, ActionAid Bangladesh, Nature Conservation Management (NECOM), Right to Food Bangladesh, Food Safety Network, Kendriya Krishi Maitri and Bangladesh Organic Agriculture Network (BOAN) were also present.