| Popis: |
Bangladesh is an agrarian country and about one-third of its cultivable lands are in coastal and offshore areas which are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. To adapt to such impacts, a number of policies, plans and adaptation measures have been suggested. However, it is not clear how many of these potential adaptation measures are actually in practice. In this study, we carry out an inventory of agricultural adaptation practices in the coastal zone of Bangladesh and present a synthesis of the inventory. The inventory is developed by recording multiple dimensions of adaptations. It records the purpose, geographic location, provider/beneficiary, timing, drivers, barriers to adaptation, gender aspects and sustainability issues of the adaptation practices. The findings of the study indicate that about 85 agricultural adaptations are now in practice, the majority of which are infrastructural-technological in scope. Almost all the adaptations are deliberate actions which come with a tangible aim of taking action/implementing change. The majority of the adaptations have been in response to long-term chronic stresses, such as salinity. Lack of capital, access to resources, knowledge and information, and centralised decision-making process appear to be some of the barriers to taking up the adaptations. The current evidence suggests that Bangladesh has embraced a mix of adaptations for agricultural development, though there are still areas for improvement. |
