Integrating adaptive approaches in addressing climate-induced stresses: Evidence of a mixed-method study in coastal Bangladesh

The coastal regions of Bangladesh have been struggling with extreme weather events, including frequent storm surges, heatwaves, droughts, and rising sea levels. These coastal regions provide the majority of the produced agricultural crops and sustain the lives and livelihoods of marginalized people of the country. Given the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, understanding the existing challenges in agriculture and the adaptive mechanisms in crop production is critical for ensuring agricultural sustainability and ensuring livelihoods in smallholder farmers in the coastal region. In this study, using qualitative and quantitative methods, we assessed the challenges and adaptive techniques in agriculture and the trajectory of climatic conditions in two agriculture-dominated but climate-vulnerable sub-districts in the southeastern coastal region of Bangladesh.

Using focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs), we explored (i) the challenges faced by the farmers, and (ii) adaptive techniques farmers have adopted in addressing climate-induced stresses in two highly climate-vulnerable sub-districts in the southeastern coastal region of Bangladesh. Two drought indices (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index: SPEI, and the Standardized Terrestrial water storage Index: STI) were used to assess the temporal trends of climatic conditions in the studied sub-districts. Qualitative information was analyzed by thematic and content analyses, while quantitative information was analyzed by the Kendall test.

Respondents in FGDs and KIIs identified untimely precipitation, droughts in crop growing seasons, limited irrigation water, and outbreaks of pests during flowering time are the major challenges in agriculture. Farmers have adopted resilient crop varieties to address these challenges. The prominent crop varieties are heat- and salt-tolerant rice, drought-tolerant vegetables, and pest-resistant crops. Notably, qualitative findings show that farmers are utilizing organic fertilizers (vermicompost) to improve soil health, mulching to keep the soil moist, storing rainwater in ponds to irrigate winter and summer crops, and growing shallow-rooted and short-rotation crops to better adjust to changing weather conditions. The study highlights the growing popularity of vermicompost in improving soil fertility and improving soil water holding capacity, indicating its potential as a nature-based solution in agricultural sustainability. Examination of the temporal trend of climatic conditions obtained from SPEI and STI values, we found that both of our studied sub-districts experienced increasing dry climatic conditions. The observed increasing growing season dry climatic conditions (obtained from 3- and 6-month SPEI and STI values) in both sub-districts support the documented responses of the respondents in FGDs and KIIs.

This study highlights the extensive problem of climate-induced stresses in coastal Bangladesh and its impact on crop production. It emphasizes the significance of adaptive practices, like stress-tolerant crop varieties, bio-fertilizers, rainwater harvesting, mulching, and cultivating short rotation and shallow-rooted crops to address the adverse impacts of climate change. The findings are of practical importance for the government, NGOs, and stakeholders for ensuring sustainable agriculture and food security in coastal Bangladesh.