Bangladesh at Battle Against Climate Change in Agriculture

The author at the media centre of COP29.

Asaduzzaman Shamrat

Bangladesh stands at a crucial crossroads, facing an intricate and urgent challenge where climate change, food security, and rural livelihoods collide. Agriculture has long been the backbone of the country's economy and the largest single source of employment. Yet today, it confronts threats of an unprecedented scale. Climate change is no longer a distant forecast or abstract worry. It is an immediate reality, reshaping fields, harvests, and the futures of millions of farmers whose lives and livelihoods depend on the land. What is at stake is not just the supply of rice—the staple food for over 170 million people—but the very resilience of a rural economy that depends on stable and predictable agricultural output.

Recent production figures reveal the severity of this challenge. Over the last three years, paddy production in Bangladesh has seen a continuous decline. It fell from 62.5 million tonnes in 2022/23 to an estimated 58.5 million tonnes in 2024/25. Meanwhile, the average yield per hectare has dropped from 5.29 tonnes to 4.94 tonnes during the same period. At first glance, this decline might appear modest. However, for a nation that has spent decades striving to achieve near self-sufficiency in rice production, a loss of nearly four million tonnes in such a short span signals a warning that cannot be ignored. The shrinking yields reflect the mounting pressure on farmers who already operate on razor-thin margins, attempting to sustain productivity amid harsher and less predictable conditions.

This downward trend is not due to a single bad spell or isolated event. Rather, it captures the cumulative effect of multiple, intertwined climate stresses that threaten Bangladesh’s agriculture. Erratic rainfall patterns—some regions face extended droughts while others are ravaged by sudden floods—have disrupted planting and harvesting cycles. Coastal districts such as Khulna, Satkhira, and Barisal are increasingly plagued by salinity intrusion, forcing farmers to abandon what were once fertile lands. Further north, relentless riverbank erosion displaces entire farming families, stripping them not only of their fields but also of their homes and stability. These pressures compound, creating an alarming scenario for both food production and rural livelihoods.

Agriculture in Bangladesh is not simply an economic sector; it is a lifeline that sustains nearly 40 percent of the labor force and supports over half of the rural population. When yields fall, the impact cascades well beyond the fields. Incomes shrink, rural demand declines, and food prices rise. For poor households, where more than half of their income is spent on food, these dynamics translate into a harsh reality: food insecurity becomes a direct threat to survival. Women and landless laborers, already vulnerable, bear the brunt of this crisis as their access to employment and nourishment becomes increasingly precarious.

Recognizing these daunting challenges, the government of Bangladesh has taken substantial steps toward fostering a climate-resilient agricultural system. The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) serves as a broad framework integrating climate adaptation into the country's development goals. Research institutions such as the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute have made vital contributions by developing stress-tolerant rice varieties—such as BRRI dhan67, which withstands submergence, and BRRI dhan61, designed to tolerate salinity. These advances provide crucial tools for combating climate-related risks, yet their adoption across the farming population remains uneven and needs to be significantly scaled up to meet the scope of the problem.

Infrastructure investments complement these efforts. Embankments, sluice gates, and flood-control projects have been reinforced to protect farmland and communities, although such interventions sometimes spark debate over their environmental consequences and sustainability. Alongside physical infrastructure, softer measures like crop insurance schemes are beginning to take root, offering farmers some protection against catastrophic losses. Pilot programs introducing climate-smart agriculture practices—integrating soil management, efficient irrigation, and diversified cropping—present promising models for future agricultural resilience.

Internationally, Bangladesh has been a passionate advocate for climate justice and support, emerging as a leading voice in global negotiations. The country has accessed financial support through global mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund to aid resilience and adaptation projects. Nevertheless, most experts agree that the scale of global financing is still grossly inadequate compared to the magnitude of the challenges facing Bangladesh’s agriculture and the investments required to secure its future.

Despite these commendable initiatives, serious hurdles remain. A major issue lies in ensuring that research breakthroughs and policy frameworks effectively translate into benefits for smallholder farmers—the backbone of the agricultural workforce. Many farmers lack awareness of new technologies, access to extension services, or the financial means to adopt them. Land fragmentation presents another structural constraint; with plots often too small and scattered, farmers struggle to mechanize or invest in efficient technologies. Beyond the technical and financial, the social and cultural dimensions must not be overlooked. Farming practices rooted in local knowledge and tradition cannot be dismissed or abruptly replaced; any meaningful adaptation must harmonize scientific innovation with community values to be sustainable and widely accepted.

There is reason for optimism rooted in Bangladesh’s remarkable history of resilience. Time and again, the country has overcome daunting odds—from the Green Revolution of the 1970s to the steady gains in rice production over recent decades—by harnessing scientific progress, sound policies, and grassroots action. However, the climate crisis represents a fundamentally new challenge: complex, cumulative, and global in its scale. Meeting it successfully will require a level of coordination and cooperation across ministries, sectors, and international partners never seen before. Crucially, farmers must be placed at the center of this transformation and supported not just by technology but also by institutional reforms, financial safeguards, and inclusive governance.

The recent declines in rice production and yields should sound an urgent alarm. They represent more than data points; they are signposts pointing toward a trajectory that, if unchecked, could create a structural imbalance between domestic food supply and demand. Given that Bangladesh’s population continues to grow, even a slight shortfall has the potential to send food prices soaring, deepen poverty, and increase dependency on costly and volatile grain imports. Such reliance risks not only economic strain on foreign reserves but also exposure to geopolitical uncertainties impacting global food markets.

Ultimately, the future of Bangladesh’s agriculture is inseparable from the broader pursuit of sustainable development. The nation’s rural future depends on whether farmers, the stewards of the land, can adapt to the realities of a changing climate while maintaining productivity and profitability. The coming decade is poised to be decisive. The government’s efforts, although laudable, must be accelerated and expanded with sharper focus and wider participation across all levels of society. Empowering farmers is paramount, which means supporting them through technology, education, financial tools, and institutional reforms designed to reduce vulnerability.

Bangladesh cannot afford to let its agriculture wither in the face of rising seas, shifting monsoons, and intensifying heat. Instead, the sector must evolve into a resilient, adaptive system capable of feeding the nation and sustaining millions of livelihoods despite mounting climate pressures. For a country whose identity is closely intertwined with the rhythms of its fields and rivers, the stakes could not be higher. Climate-resilient agriculture is not a distant ideal—it is the frontline in Bangladesh’s ongoing struggle for survival, dignity, and a sustainable future in an era defined by unprecedented environmental change.

(Asaduzzaman Shamrat, Executive President, South Asian Climate Change Journalist Forum (SACCJF)