Article Details
  • Published Online:
    October  2024
  • Product Name:
    The IUP Journal of Knowledge Management
  • Product Type:
    Article
  • Product Code:
    IJKM011024
  • Author Name:
    Sadika Sultana Chowdhury and Prabal Barua
  • Availability:
    YES
  • Subject/Domain:
    Strategic
  • Download Format:
    PDF
  • Pages:
    42
Indigenous Knowledge and Coping Strategies of Bangladeshi Farmers in Disaster-Prone Regions: An Empirical Assessment
Abstract

Bangladesh’s agriculture sector is vital to its economy since it generates jobs, improves living standards, and reduces poverty. However, several natural disasters, such as climate change, have increased the sector’s strain, which significantly impacts food production, especially in susceptible regions such as the country’s peripheral coastal districts. This study investigates the several mitigation measures that local farmers have previously adopted to manage the risks and catastrophic events resulting from climate change. It is imperative to educate the bulk of farmers regarding the advantages of these measures, given the restricted availability of vital extension services and pertinent information. Farmers in the study areas expressed a positive intent towards saline-resistant cultivars/varieties, and requested their introduction. Despite the potential effectiveness of building canals to enhance irrigation by conserving freshwater, it is often expensive and unattainable for underprivileged small-scale farmers. Hence, it is crucial to allocate additional financial resources to appropriate stakeholder groups to enable efficient execution and growth of adaptation operations.

Introduction

The rapid growth of world population and finite amount of available land are the main barriers to achieving food security and reducing poverty. Climate change exacerbates the problem, raising temperatures and causing extreme weather events. Given this backdrop, Bangladesh needs to improve its agricultural production to feed its growing population (Barua and Mitra, 2024).