Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change. In Kurigram district, floods are destroying assets, crops and months of hardwork every year. CARE helps farmers adapt their agricultural practices to the situation so they can withstand climate shocks.
Farmers are the foremost victims of climate change
In Bangladesh's Kurigram district, people live to the rhythm of the Dharla River, also known as the "deadly river. Due to climate change, shoreline residents are often affected by highly-damaging natural disasters.
The crops of these families (that mainly consist of smallholder farmers) are frequently devastated by flooding. Living off their own produce, and without a stable source of income, they are unable to fully satisfy their needs. As a result, they are often forced to indebt themselves to buy food.
Climate-resilient farming practices that are adapted to floods
CARE has launched a project to assist locals in developing viable agricultural practices, that can resist risks affecting the region. Vegetable crops are grown on raised platforms and floating gardens, hence keeping plantations protected and preventing loss in the event of flooding.
Communities also received improved climate resilient seeds through local agriculture research institutes. Unlike traditional varieties, these types of seeds survivedthe major floods that occurred in 2017.
Thanks to this project, families can now live with dignity, every day. Better yet, they can prepare for the future. As a matter of fact, 69% of beneficiaries saw their income increase. They can now save to be resilient in tougher times.
Developping know-how in sustainable agriculture
To provide them with the means to live decently, CARE also assists local communities in adopting more eco-friendly farming practices. To avoid using chemical fertilizers – as they are highly polluting, lead to soil degradation and expensive - farmers now use vermicompost, an alternative fertilizer made of organic waste and earthworms. This allows them to increase their agricultural productivity at a lower cost.
This marks a new step towards sustainable farming that respects our planet and its people.
*Focus on Where the rain falls*
“Where The Rain Falls-” is the third phase of a project initiated in 2011 across 8 countries - including Thailand - in partnership with the United Nations University (UNU). This research phase highlighted how changing rainfall patterns rank high among the key challenges facing rural communities, and affecting their standards of living (cf. online global study).
Since 2014, Community-Based Adaptation projects has been ongoing in India, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
