The adverse impacts of climate change have triggered the recurrence of natural calamities in the Rajshahi region, posing a serious threat to the farming of winter crops, including vegetables, and the living conditions of the farming community in the region.
The duration of winter, along with its intensity, has changed remarkably over the last couple of years, which is detrimental to winter crop farming.
Time-befitting measures need to be adopted urgently to boost agricultural production and ensure food security amid the adverse impacts of climate change, experts say.
Abdur Rahim, one of the successful farmers of Borgachi village under Paba upazila in the district, said the ongoing climate change at alarming rates has severely affected winter vegetable farming and its diversity, creating a real threat to food production.
The developed countries should fulfil their commitment to climate funding and ensure transparency in the use of this fund.
He also said the legitimate rights of farmers and others concerned should be protected properly to encourage them to boost agricultural production and meet its gradually mounting demands.
Referring to their enormous contribution to the country's agricultural development, he said farmers deserve the right to receive all requisite privileges.
There is no alternative to protecting their interests as a whole, he added.
Shahidul Islam, regional coordinator of the Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK), pointed out that the existing agricultural system has started facing a serious threat due to climate change, which also leads to various natural disasters.
Terming climate change an issue of great concern for the region, he mentioned that the effect of climate change on water resources and agriculture in the region, including its vast Barind tract, is alarming.
Quoting research, Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of the Department of Geology and Mining at Rajshahi University (RU) said maximum temperature positively influenced the yield of Aus, Aman, and potato but negatively affected the yield of Boro and wheat.
Minimum temperature adversely affected all crops except Aman and Boro. Rainfall showed a less prominent influence on increasing yield.
Apart from this, rice, sugarcane, and maize have shown a decreasing trend in the cropland area, whereas an increasing trend in the cropland area was noticeable for potatoes, wheat, pulses, etc.
As a whole, the region, particularly the drought-prone Barind area, is very vulnerable in terms of food security and existing water resources.
The vice chancellor of Varendra University, Prof Osman Gani Talukder, said necessary steps should be taken to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change in the region to protect its living and livelihood conditions from further degradation.
He mentioned that the ongoing climate change at alarming rates has severely affected every farming production sector, particularly agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, which are now being considered a real threat to food production.
Prof Laila Arjuman Banu of RU said the common consequences of drought, such as dust storms due to desertification, eroding landscapes, less crop growth due to lack of water for irrigation, malnutrition, dehydration, and habitat damage, are now being observed in the dried region.
She said over 16,000 deep tube wells are now being used to extract groundwater for maintaining the farming system, especially the irrigation-dependent paddy, to boost its output and feed the huge population.
