Global warming threatens Bangladesh agriculture, food safety
Kamruzzaman Bablu :
Since last few years, intense wildfires sweep across the country from the beginning of summer.
Concern global organizations at different times predict that large number countries will have to face such prolonged droughts, fires and no rains almost every year in the upcoming days if this warming won’t be controlled.
The tolerance level of various animals and plants have already exceeded due to the increase in wildfires and the frequency of floods, according to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Meanwhile, due to the low-lying area, topography, delta shape and proximity to the Bay of Bengal and the Himalayas, the risk of natural disasters is relatively high in Bangladesh.
Climate change has increased the level and severity of these dangers day by day.
A recent data released by Asian Development Bank (ADB) showed that Bangladesh’s agriculture is going to be one of the most affected sectors in the future due to rising temperatures, salinity and sea levels.
Experts said that the global warming will have a major long-term impact on agricultural production and food security in the future.
According to the report titled ‘Bangladesh’s Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development Sector Assessment and Strategy’ published in March this year, Bangladesh will lose 2 per cent of its GDP by 2050 due to climate change alone. Along with this, crop diseases and insect attacks will also increase.
Even in the case of fairly tolerable climate change, rice production in the country will decrease by 17 per cent. In case of wheat, this rate is 61 percent.
The main causes of this crop loss are prolonged fire and drought. Due to increased temperature and humidity in the environment, besides the production in the agricultural sector, the efficiency of the workers will also be affected.
Besides, drought, salinity and other natural disasters will have a negative impact on the country’s fisheries. Unplanned urbanization and development will further complicate these crises. Food security, livelihoods and lives will be affected overall.
In the meantime, various damages due to climate change have become visible in the country’s crop production.
A few days ago due to wide difference in day and night temperature, rice blast disease occurred in different districts. It has caused some damage to crops.
Recently, the Agriculture Ministry issued a warning notice regarding the protection of crops in the wake of ongoing heat wave.
It is said that enough water should be retained in Boro paddy fields to protect paddy from heat wave damage. 2-3 inches of water must be kept in the paddy fields till the grain hardens.
Adequate irrigation can be provided at the base of the mango tree and water can be sprayed on the branches of the tree if necessary.
Depending on the type of soil in the vegetable land, two or three steps irrigation can be provided as per requirement.
Fruit and vegetable seedlings should be irrigated to protect them from heat wave damage.
“In our country, importance is being given to the development of climate-tolerant varieties.
We are globally ahead in research on these varieties.
There are no serious issues with groundwater yet,” Badal Chandra Biswas, Director General of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, told The New Nation on Thursday.
However, we place utmost importance on using as little groundwater as possible. BADC is excavating the filled canals. We are optimistic that importance is being given to agriculture by giving importance to the weather, he told.
It will also reduce the availability of water for irrigation. In addition to farmers being affected by this, the food security crisis in the respective countries will also increase.
In this situation, experts feel that it is necessary to adopt sustainable strategies in the country’s agriculture sector and emphasize its implementation.
“Because of the temperature, there will be an impact in some places, but in the meantime, we can feel it”, Md. Maksudur Rahman, Professor of Geography and Environment Department of Dhaka University, told The New Nation.
Not only Bangladesh, the entire South Asia has become hot due to summer drought. The Meteorological Department of the country has issued a warning that the storm will take a more severe form in neighboring India’s West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. New guidelines have also been issued in Pakistan.
Climate change is going to put major pressure on the global food system, experts say.
Prolonged drought has already caused major changes in crop sowing and harvesting seasons.
Now the summer heat is setting in early. Again the monsoon rains are late. This trend is also seen in the crop planting and harvesting season.
“Agriculture mainly depends on the climate. Climate change will make the weather unbearable. Salinity will increase. In the last Ashar-Shraban, there has been much less rain than normal.
Again Bhadra-Ashwin received more rain than normal”, Dr. Ainun Nishat, Emeritus Professor of BRAC University’s Center for Climate Change and Environmental Research told The New Nation.
“The rate at which temperatures are expected to rise by 2050 will hamper pollination. Then various problems will arise.
As coastal salinity increases, it will increase further. Floods in the Haor region, increased late monsoon rains in the Southwest, drought in North Bengal, overall temperature rise and consequent increase in insect attacks, these effects will be felt gradually.
These problems will be serious in agriculture after 20-30 years,” Dr. Nishat added.
