Chapter One: Introduction

1.1

Statement of the Problem

Climate change affects agriculture more or less directly and agriculture is important for food
security in such ways that it produces the food people eat; and it provides the primary source of
livelihood for peoples workforce sectors. In the heavily populated countries like Bangladesh
highly depend on agricultural labour and the agricultural system highly depends on natural
blessing. If agricultural production is adversely affected by climate change, the livelihoods of
large numbers of the rural poor will be put at risk and their vulnerability to food insecurity will
be increased. Climate change and food insecurity are the twin buzzwords at present, it has a
profound impact on geophysical, economies, human development and the achievement of the
predetermined goals. The ultimate impact of global climate change being observed day to day
and researches show that poor countries are the most vulnerable. Bangladesh is the most
vulnerable in measure of the loss through climate change among all other centuries, with the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) affirming that its effects have already been
observed, and scientific findings indicating that precautionary and prompt actions are necessary
to address its impending threats (IPCC, 2001). Climate change is also increasingly being
foreseen as the crisis of global proportions, with the IPCC further noting that its impacts will fall
disproportionately upon developing countries and the poorer sections of the society. Much has
been written on the ways in which unchecked climate change might negatively impact mostly on
Bangladesh such like developing countries prospects for sustainable development. Changing patterns
of rainfall, for example, threaten to agricultural activity in reducing the viability of rain-fed agriculture.

The basic argument is rooted in the understanding of the fundamental links between climate
change and development. Long-term policy responses require accurate information about the
agricultural impacts of future climatic conditions. Despite recent advances in analyzing the
economic effects of global warming, information about climate change and food security in
Bangladesh remains extremely limited. Specific details are lacking about the location, timing,
magnitude and probability with which food security issues might arise.

1.2 Rationale of the Study

Bangladesh is an agricultural country, mostly depend on nature. It is clear as daylight that

agricultural production is always vulnerable to unfavorable weather events and climatic
conditions. In spite of technological advances such as improved crop varieties and irrigation
systems, weather and climate are still key factors in agricultural productivity. Often the linkages
between these key factors and production losses are obvious, but sometimes the linkages are
more or less indirect. The impacts of climate change on agricultural food production are global
concerns, and they are very important for Bangladesh. Agriculture is the single most and the
largest sector of Bangladesh's economy which accounts for about 22% of the GDP and about
55% of the labor force (BBS, 2007). Agriculture in Bangladesh is already under pressure both
from huge and increasing demands for food, and from problems of agricultural land and water
resources depletion. The prospect of global climate change makes the issue particularly urgent
for Bangladesh and its southern part which also affected by extreme soil salinity.

Agricultural impacts of climate change could have profound effect in poor and developing
countries. Bangladesh, a developing country in South Asia, is primarily deltaic flood plains, and
elevations in most of the country do not exceed 10m. The country has a humid tropical climate.
Average rainfall in drier and wetter regions are 1500mm and 5000mm per year respectively
(Banglapedia, 2007). Despite technological advances such as improved crop varieties and
irrigation system, weather and climate are still key factors in agricultural productivity. The rise
of CO2 level in the atmosphere and the concomitant climate change will have a direct impact on
agriculture. It is generally well accepted that this increase will have beneficial effects on plant
productivity. Thus it is difficult to predict the combined impact on agricultural productivity.
Crop simulation models can be used to predict the impact. These models can provide a way to
estimate crop production under climate-change condition. Research on crop simulation has
concentrated on determining the relationships between crop growth, yields and environmental
variables through field experiments as well as simulated experiments. Food production as basic
necessity for passing each day of human being becomes enrollment into scare situation. The
people of disadvantaged strata of society become more or less risk to bear higher hazardous

effects due to frequent occurrences of climatic calamity. So it is crying need to illustrate the
actual situation of deteriorated human existence of southwestern people and whether how to
overcome the problem and how to ensure sufficient solution measures.

Why and how the salinity intrude in the community?

How productivity reduces due to salinity, shrimp farming and climate change?

What happen at the calamity situation to child and womens food security?

How it differ the food security status of people possessing different classes, different
knowledge?

In which periods they belong to a more critical situation?

What is the situation of the livestock, fisheries productivity situation in the community?

Answer to these questions would help to formulate effective policy to establish the proper
initiative for self-sufficiency food production and risk management in the coastal areas and thus
reduce food scarcity and a healthy existence of local inhabitant.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

A. Main Objective
The main objective is to show the situation of climate change and food production and
consumption of people in salinity prone southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh
B. Specific Objective
1. To identify the livelihood pattern of people that is changing with climatic change;
2. To find out the condition and problems of local agricultural production;
3. To analyze the availability, access and stability of food production and food consumption
level of people;
4. To identify the status of food security of different strata of people in the study area; and
5. To show the existing social relation and organizational support to address food

security issues related to climate change.

1.4 Conceptual Framework

Nutritional Deficiency

Factors of Climatic
Change

Potential Salinity

Climate change and Food Security

Salinity Intrusion, Flood, Less Rainfall,

Cyclone

Agricultural Production
Hazard of Socio-Cultural
Environment

Lower Production System

Insufficient Food Production

Impacts on Employment

Reduces Food Entitlement

Poverty
Import Food Grain

Insufficient Food
Consumption

Food Insecurity
Nutritional Deficiency
Figure-1 Situation of Climate Change and Food Security

Vulnerability

Interpretation of Conceptual Framework

Figure-1 states that the factors of climatic change such as lower level of rainfall, salinity, flood,
cyclone and other barriers which enhance the salinity into the farm land and introduce shrimp
cultivation. The shrimp cultivation affects badly the traditional agricultural production; reduce
livestock field and traditional fisheries cultivation which ultimately induce low production. On
the other, the climatic factors also affect on the socio-cultural environment which is related with
the agricultural production. The lower and ineffective production system creates obvious result
of insufficient food production in the community. The insufficient food productions badly affect
on employment which reduces the food entitlement and increases the need of importing full of
household food grain. All these factors induce chronic food insecurity and nutritional deficiency
of people.

1.5 Definition of the Concepts

Climate Change: The climate change indicates that the gradual changing pattern of local weather
by different kinds of physical or social intervening factors.
Food Security: Food security is based on availability, accessibility and stability of people for
having physical and economic access at all times to produce, buy, obtain or consume sufficient,
safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for a healthy and active
life and are measured in the context of agricultural or food production systems, and food imports
from outside of the community.

Salinity Prone Area: Intrusion of salty marine water by the route of river, lake or others paths due
to the rise of sea level, climatic change, tidal storm as well as flow of river into the shrimp field
which create high potential soil salinity in the coastal area.