Agricultural lands are vital to food security, which is imperative to the “no global hunger” objective of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Global food security is at risk from climatic change related increased temperatures, fluctuating precipitation levels, and greater frequency of extreme weather. Bangladesh’s low topography, high population density, high poverty levels, and economic dependency on agriculture indicates a higher vulnerability to climate change, despite the nation’s minimal greenhouse gas emissions. To examine these trends in Bangladesh, this research analyzes a survey of over 800 Bangladeshi farmers to understand how they experience and adapt to climate change. Through quantitative data collation and analysis, research illuminates that 90% of farmers reported changing their practices because they observed long-term shifts in climate. The majority of these farmers reported significant changes to important agricultural practices such as changing the variety of crop they produce, irrigating their farms more, and changing their fertilizer application. Analysis of this data in relation to population vulnerability and the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals reveals which groups are most at risk of food insecurity and livelihood loss as Bangladesh experiences higher agricultural variability related to climatic change. Lessons learned from Bangladesh have global implications, particularly for other developing countries experiencing agricultural transitions.

Bedi, Heather, Shamma Alam, and M. Mahrab Bakhtiar. Agricultural Adaptations to Climate Change in Bangladesh: Crop Yield Reductions and Sustainable Development Implications. IFPRI: International Food Policy Research Institute (Article published online December 14, 2021). https://www.ifpri.org/publication/agricultural-adaptations-climate-change-bangladesh-crop-yield-reductions-and

This is an Open Access article.

Heather Bedi is a professor of Environmental Studies at Dickinson College.
Shamma Alam is a professor of International Studies at Dickinson College.

This published version is made available on Dickinson Scholar with the permission of the publisher. For more information on the published version, visit International Food Policy Research Institute's (IFPRI) Website. https://www.ifpri.org/publication/agricultural-adaptations-climate-change-bangladesh-crop-yield-reductions-and

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