KU, BRAC ink MoU to boost climate-smart tech for coastal farmers

KU Treasurer Prof Dr Md Nurunnabi and BRAC Senior Director Hossain Ishrat Adib signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. The signed documents were later exchanged in the presence of KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Rezaul Karim.

Among others present at the ceremony were Director of Student Affairs Prof Dr Md Najmus Sadat, Khan Jahan Ali Hall Provost Prof Dr Md Khasrul Alam, IQAC Director Prof Dr Md Mostafizur Rahman, and representatives from BRAC.

Under the agreement, KU’s Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology (FMRT) Discipline will collaborate with BRAC programmes to conduct field-level research and develop need-based, climate-resilient water management and aquaculture technologies for coastal areas affected by climate change.

The initiative will combine laboratory research with field experiments, data collection and active participation from local communities. Laboratory assessments will focus on salinity, arsenic, iron and other elements to better understand water quality and usability, strengthening the scientific basis for improved water management.

The partnership also aims to help local entrepreneurs and communities adopt suitable technologies tailored to their specific environmental conditions.

Both organisations will work to reduce the environmental impact of saline wastewater from conventional reverse osmosis (RO) systems by developing more effective and sustainable water management solutions.

In addition, joint research will focus on developing improved fish species and climate-smart, cost-effective aquaculture practices suited to diverse coastal environments, with a particular focus on supporting small and marginal farmers.

The MoU emphasises the effective use of science, technology and human resources to enhance resilience, livelihoods and adaptive capacity in vulnerable coastal communities.

Stakeholders expressed hope that the partnership would deepen research collaboration between KU and BRAC and contribute meaningfully to climate-resilient development in coastal Bangladesh.