Environmentalists call for sustainable agriculture system to deal with drought

As the number of rivers in the country is decreasing at an alarming rate, water bodies are being encroached upon and become unusable, environmentalists and agriculture experts said on Sunday (9 June).

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Sustainable Agricultural Practices for Drought Resilience’ at the Directorate of Services in the capital, they said groundwater is going down, land pollution is increasing and the whole country is at risk of drought.

As a result, they said the country’s agricultural system is now facing the greatest threat. In such a situation, sustainable agricultural practices are needed for drought resilience. Realistic and well-planned projects should be taken considering the needs of marginalized farmers and communities. Then the country’s land will be saved, farmers will be saved, agriculture will be saved, and the environment will be saved.

The event was jointly organised by ActionAid Bangladesh and Nature Conservation Management (NACOM). The event was co-hosted by Right to Food Bangladesh, Food Security Network, Kendriya Krishi Maitri and Bangladesh Organic Agriculture Network (BOAN). Director General, Department of Environment Dr Abdul Hameed presided over the function.

Anwar Faruque, former senior secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, urged the government to take practical projects keeping in mind the marginal farmers.

He said, “Agriculture should be farmer-friendly. We must plan in such a way that marginal farmers survive.”

Bangladesh Krishi Bank Chairman Md Nasiruzzaman has urged the government to declare the drought-prone areas of the country as’ crisis areas.

He said, “Be it North Bengal or South Bengal, desertification has taken a terrible shape in the entire country. At one time there were more than 800 rivers in the country. Most of the rivers have dried up. As many as 310 rivers are alive. Latest researches say that 3:08 million hectares of land are severely affected. The organic matter and fertility of the soil have decreased from the damaged land. As a result, our crops are not yielding the expected results. We need to increase our water use. We must increase pond mining, increase organic fertilizer subsidies and take well-planned initiatives to increase groundwater. And you have to be diligent in cultivating crops. ‘

Director General of the Department of Environment Dr Abdul Hamid said, ‘This is our land, our future. We all need to be resilient. We are dealing with drought keeping in mind the global situation. Our floating agriculture is being followed in many countries. However, there is an opportunity to make agriculture more sustainable under the influence of climate.”