Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest Bangladesh
Agriculture is sensitive to climate change as it depends on temperature and rainfall patterns for crop production. Though Bangladesh's recent growth in its agriculture sector is remarkable, the farmer community living in the northwest region of Bangladesh faces drought every year that negativel...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Environmental Challenges |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266701002300029X |
| _version_ | 1797827814427197440 |
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| author | Rumana Sultana Haseeb Md. Irfanullah Samiya A. Selim Mohammad Budrudzaman |
| author_facet | Rumana Sultana Haseeb Md. Irfanullah Samiya A. Selim Mohammad Budrudzaman |
| author_sort | Rumana Sultana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agriculture is sensitive to climate change as it depends on temperature and rainfall patterns for crop production. Though Bangladesh's recent growth in its agriculture sector is remarkable, the farmer community living in the northwest region of Bangladesh faces drought every year that negatively affects agriculture, ecology, and society. However, studies focusing on farmer communities' vulnerability to drought and adaptation options through a social-ecological lens are limited. The present study used a framework that combines social-ecological vulnerability (i.e., exposure, sensitivity, and lack of resilience) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) strategies and linked them with risk governance (i.e., organization, planning, and implementation) to understand social-ecological risk and adaptation. Data was collected through 50 in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions with the farmer communities of the Tanore sub-district of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh. We found that increased temperature, lack of water availability, change in rainfall pattern, and limited availability of drought-resilient crop seeds increased farmers’ vulnerability to drought. Farmers were shifting from traditional farming practices to more ecosystem-based, integrated farming practices that are less climate-sensitive. Combined agriculture, selecting drought-tolerant rice varieties, and shifting cropping patterns were some strategies that farmers adopted to address risks. However, the adaptation of these strategies was not well-governed. Farmers opined some strategies that could be initiated at the organization (e.g., local government support), planning (e.g., planning farming skill development), and implementation (e.g., restoring water bodies) levels to help the community to reduce risk. The study would aid in framing governance measures to reduce vulnerability and risk in agriculture-dominated social-ecological systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:54:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f64fb48f00374aec82b421e9e59a327f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-0100 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:54:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Challenges |
| spelling | doaj.art-f64fb48f00374aec82b421e9e59a327f2023-05-14T04:30:06ZengElsevierEnvironmental Challenges2667-01002023-04-0111100707Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest BangladeshRumana Sultana0Haseeb Md. Irfanullah1Samiya A. Selim2Mohammad Budrudzaman3Department of Environmental Science and Management, Independent University, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Corresponding author.Center for Sustainable Development, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Dhaka, BangladeshCenter for Sustainable Development, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Dhaka, BangladeshCenter for Sustainable Development, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Climate Change and Disaster Management Programme, SAJIDA Foundation, Dhaka, BangladeshAgriculture is sensitive to climate change as it depends on temperature and rainfall patterns for crop production. Though Bangladesh's recent growth in its agriculture sector is remarkable, the farmer community living in the northwest region of Bangladesh faces drought every year that negatively affects agriculture, ecology, and society. However, studies focusing on farmer communities' vulnerability to drought and adaptation options through a social-ecological lens are limited. The present study used a framework that combines social-ecological vulnerability (i.e., exposure, sensitivity, and lack of resilience) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) strategies and linked them with risk governance (i.e., organization, planning, and implementation) to understand social-ecological risk and adaptation. Data was collected through 50 in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions with the farmer communities of the Tanore sub-district of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh. We found that increased temperature, lack of water availability, change in rainfall pattern, and limited availability of drought-resilient crop seeds increased farmers’ vulnerability to drought. Farmers were shifting from traditional farming practices to more ecosystem-based, integrated farming practices that are less climate-sensitive. Combined agriculture, selecting drought-tolerant rice varieties, and shifting cropping patterns were some strategies that farmers adopted to address risks. However, the adaptation of these strategies was not well-governed. Farmers opined some strategies that could be initiated at the organization (e.g., local government support), planning (e.g., planning farming skill development), and implementation (e.g., restoring water bodies) levels to help the community to reduce risk. The study would aid in framing governance measures to reduce vulnerability and risk in agriculture-dominated social-ecological systems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266701002300029XAgricultureDroughtEcosystem-based adaptationNature-based solutionsRisk governanceSocial-ecological vulnerability |
| spellingShingle | Rumana Sultana Haseeb Md. Irfanullah Samiya A. Selim Mohammad Budrudzaman Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest Bangladesh Environmental Challenges Agriculture Drought Ecosystem-based adaptation Nature-based solutions Risk governance Social-ecological vulnerability |
| title | Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest Bangladesh |
| title_full | Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest Bangladesh |
| title_short | Vulnerability and ecosystem-based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone Northwest Bangladesh |
| title_sort | vulnerability and ecosystem based adaptation in the farming communities of droughtprone northwest bangladesh |
| topic | Agriculture Drought Ecosystem-based adaptation Nature-based solutions Risk governance Social-ecological vulnerability |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266701002300029X |
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