A climate change adaption project in Khulna agricultural region through smart-climate technology has been introduced with a view to diversifying crops for increasing agricultural production and productivity.
According to data, climate change and sea-level rise pose a serious threat to Bangladesh's impressive growth in agricultural productivity. The rising temperature will affect the yield of Aman and Boro rice, the country's two major staple crops. Further, soil salinity has affected 62 percent of coastal land and sea level rise may reduce available cropland by about one-fourth in Coastal Divisions.
Through the smart-climate technology and bringing the barren land under cultivation, the density of crop in the project areas will be increased to 175 percent from 170 percent.
As we know that there is a risk of climate change in Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira district of Khulna agricultural region, the project has been taken to improve the socio-economic condition of the farmers of this region.
The implementation of the project will enable sustainable development of agriculture in the project areas through appropriate agricultural technology, good water management, production of suitable crops for cultivable land through expansion of modern varieties of salt-tolerant local crops, Increase the use of fallow land, protection of soil health and enhancement of farmer's skills.
Initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, the project will be implemented by Department of Agricultural Extension. The cost of project has been estimated at about Tk 50 crore.
Project Director Fazlul Huque Moni said that the project focused climate change adaptation to mitigate the risk and he also mentioned that project has time demanding need bossed programmer for farmer.
--- Nurey Alam, AA