Climate Change Perception and Adaptation Strategies of Southwest Coastal Bangladesh
Keywords:
Climate change impacts, farmers’ perception, agricultural adaptation, southwest coastal BangladeshAbstract
Bangladesh is cited as one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. Climate change poses serious impacts on agricultural sustainability, food security, natural resources and rural livelihood pattern. The study investigates farmers’ perception to climate change and their agricultural adaptation in the coastal area of Bangladesh. Two hundred household survey were conducted in Satkhira and Barguna district. Study revealed that farmers were well aware of climate change and they observed an increased temperature, rainfall, number of cyclones, flood intensity etc. over the years in the study area. Farmers’ thought that weed and pest infestation, disease outbreak and pesticide use have been increased due to the change in temperature and rainfall. Water logging, cyclone, river erosion and salinity were identified as the major environmental problems in the study area. However, the study identified 28 adaptation strategies that have been adopted by the farmers to reduce the impact of climate change. Crop diversification, introduction of new crops that can resist climatic stress, crop rotation, mix cropping, change in planting and harvesting date, shortening growing season, homestead gardening, application of organic fertilizers and pesticide, increased use of irrigation, different soil conservation techniques and income diversification were found as the most common adaptation measures. The results of the regression analysis showed that socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers (age, education, farming status and experience, farm income etc.) and their perception to climate change influenced the farmers in choosing different adaptation strategies. The adaptation measures were economically profitable as well as agriculturally sustainable though lack of experience and knowledge, agricultural extension services, availability of inputs and lack of credit facilities were identified as the major challenges in the area.
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