Human activities are changing the Earth's
climate. The expected change in the Earth’s
climate would alter regional agricultural
production systems with substantial consequences
on food production. Global climate change puts
agriculture at great risk, especially in
smallholder systems and associated societies,
which forms greater portion of South and
Southeast Asia.
Experiences have shown the importance of
assessing local coping strategies to climate
variability and climate change. Hence
understanding the linkages between climate risks
and community-based local adaptation strategies
has recently gained considerable interests.
Initiation of risk perception and adaptation
assessment framework for climate change can
eventually be used to develop a methodology for
effective delivery of policy options. This
exercise has to be coupled with the human
dimension, especially with respect to
resource-poor smallholder farmers. Linking the
human and biophysical systems and the
consequences of climate change is essential to
inform public policy. Such type of integration
with the public is one of the mandates of
several global change programs, including ADPC’s
climate change adaptation projects.
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Improved Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change for
Sustainable Livelihoods in the Agriculture
Sector
The project was initiated by ADPC in 2005 with
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO). The work focuses on four
upazillas in Chapai Nowabgonj (Gomastapur and
Nachole) and Noagoan (Porsha and Sapahar)
districts of North West Bangladesh. The project
aims to develop methodology to better
understand:
-
how the anticipated climate change would
affect the livelihoods in agricultural
sector
-
how results of climate change impact
modeling can be translated into agricultural
response options and livelihood adaptation
practices
-
how these options can be locally tested and
implemented in a participatory way with
farmers
-
how to communicate the results into the
agricultural and climate change community
-
how the improved adaptation practices and
long-lead climate forecasting can help to
improve adaptive capacity of livelihoods in
agriculture sector
The methodology involves assessment of past and
present climate impacts through historical
climate data analysis. The local perceptions of
climate hazards would be documented through
employing Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
methodology. The climate analogues derived from
historical climate data and climate change model
outputs would be used for developing climate
change scenarios for the pilot sites. The
climate change scenarios will be translated into
agricultural sector impacts at the pilot study
locations based on the existing management
practices. A good of understanding climate
change impacts, local capacities and coping
strategies and the formulation of
technically-viable and good agricultural
practice menu are the expected outcomes of the
project. This project would help facilitate the
mainstreaming of climate change adaptation into
national development goals.
