Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque and Dr. Amir M. Nasrullah :
By now food crisis has cropped up as a global phenomenon. Even in developed countries like USA, Russia, China acute crisis in cereal production has triggered much structural tension giving a formidable threat to food security. Food production is badly affected by global warming spelling disasters like super cyclone and the deluge of inundation.
The world wide political scenario characterized by and large by turmoil and turbulence may hint much about the governance shortage or economic mismanagement. But one should not point finger at the problem of governance only. The problem is acute food crisis due largely to havoc wrecked by unprecedented flood, snow fall and tornado.
In developing countries arable land is shrinking at an alarming rate. This is due to population explosion. Implementing any human development programme has become a daunting challenge due largely to bulge in population. Demographic transition over time paints an alarming picture of the state of population. The country’s population growth has been showing upward trends over a couple of decades now reaching the height of overpopulation with14.45 people (1.39 growth rate). If there is no attempt to arrest the growth of population the total population will be doubled. With a seemingly overpopulation stage it has been difficult to meet nutritional demands of all citizens. Marginalization has become an acute problem with fast growing of the poor living far below the poverty line. Reproductive health sector is stated to be seriously impaired.
The dire consequence of rapid population growth is the depletion of natural resources. Colossal waste and extraction in the man-made humanitarian crisis like the resultant poverty impairs “regenerative capacity’ of natural resource especially land and water. We now see devastation of resources caused by non-ecological human behaviour. Demographic imbalance, unplanned settlements and economic growth tends to harm natural order of things dismantling ecological settings. Consequent upon it food security has been facing a great challenge difficult to meet only through agricultural modernization.
The ministry of agriculture has planned to ensure food security through sustainable agricultural dvement. One celebrated freelancer thus commented that ‘one important component is how to increase food production by small/minor irrigation in suitable topography and soils. This involves construction of small dams and reservoirs, excavation of canals, drainage of swamps for agricultural use, constructing embankments, tanks and ponds on river beds or abandoned rivers or dry areas for rainwater harvesting for use in lean period for irrigation as well as water supply in the water-hungry, parched lands in various ecological regions.
Mutafizur Rahman thus observed
“The government (ministry of agriculture) has programme for national food security where the main sub-sectors/components of agriculture are covered. One important component is how to increase food production by small/minor irrigation in suitable topography and soils. This involves construction of small dams and reservoirs, excavation of canals, drainage of swamps for agricultural use, constructing embankments, tanks and ponds on river beds or abandoned rivers or dry areas for rainwater harvesting for use in lean period for irrigation as well as water supply in the water-hungry, parched lands particularly in SW and NW regions. Apart from food production, the projects will help combat drought and desertification and climate change impacts and create congenial environment with numerous water bodies formed by the projects”.
It is heartening to note that the proximate policy officials and policy adviser mainly agronomists have given concepts notes about sustainable agriculture trough proper irrigation. Green landscapes are of course the blessings of god. All the same deep as well as shallow tube wells supplying water to land under cultivation are really producing the benefits of cost s of production. Especially during boro season . modern irrigations like deep and shallow tube wells have been installed by BADc, Krishi bank and BRD. The role of BAD as a think tank cannot be left out of equation. Based on Comilla model it has long been experimenting with sustainable irrigation with a commensurate results. It enable the implementing agencies, BRDB and Thana agricultural extensions to follow up according to policy guidelines of BARD.
Apart from irrigation, the policy makers should think to combat dissertation and deforestation. Policy officials in the ministry of agriculture through project intervention has endeavored to combat drought and desertification and climate change impacts and create congenial environment with numerous water bodies formed by the projects. News about massive destruction of trees in a coastal area like Sitakunda are sensational and eye-boggling-all to the disenchantment of the civil societies orchestrating sound environment movement. This mindless operation of the influentials should not go unchallenged. Otherwise there is possibility of the annihilation of green enclosure that protect the coastal dwellings from the devastation of tidal bore and water surge breaking coastal embankments. Already a celebrated civil society like YAPSA, that has been advocating for public policy for the ship breaking industries, has risen to the occasion protesting against indiscriminate feeling of trees in Sitakunda to create space for constructing ship breaking yard.
The implementation of a project like BNFSP (Bangladesh National Food Security Programme), like Nigeria’s NSPFS (Nigerian National Special Programme for Food Security) has been undertaken in cooperation with FAO and China.
Smart implementation of food security project will harness’ natural river water, water from reservoirs of the small dams, excavate tanks and ponds in dry river beds for rain water harvesting for use in dry reason, dams in Chittagong and CHT and on border rivers in Mymensingh and Sylhet districts. The projects will add to national food security and be helpful in combating drought and desertification and climate change, creating congenial environment in the regions. Use of low lift pumps should be undertaken in large and flowing rivers, natural reservoirs, pond and haors.’
Most experts are of the opinion that’ ‘the entire Rajshahi division is dry and hot with mostly small, moribund and ephemeral rivers and streams. Water-scarce barind area falls in this region. The region often records lowest rainfall. The area adjoining the Ganges has also been severely affected due to Farakka. We need irrigation with small dams where topography is suitable and water can be stored during the monsoon in tanks and ponds, also holding water in the lows of rivers, using shallow and deep tubewells in good aquifers as well as low lift pumps along the rivers. Rain water may be harvested in dry channels and ponds and used during lean period. 150 such projects may be undertaken, which will help resolve ‘monga’ related problems. The projects will combat drought and desertification and climate change and will rejuvenate the degraded and polluted environment.
Bangladesh has made significant progress in boosting national food production. However, a large part of the population still lacks access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. Ensuring that everyone is food secure is therefore a high priority for the Government of Bangladesh.
The National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme helps build Bangladesh’s institutional and human capacities to design, implement, and monitor food security policies. Apart from strengthening the capacity of relevant Government agencies, the Programme also promotes better access to food-security related information and knowledge exchange.
The reports also give some policy recommendations
—- Both public and private investments in a dynamic and responsive agricultural research and extension system is essential to accelerate the transition from subsistence to commercial farming through diversification, export promotion, and bridging yield gaps.
—To stimulate RNF growth, the country needs to provide an enabling rural business environment by investing in rural infrastructure, reforming its rural finance mechanism, regulatory framework, land policy and administration, and public expenditures, creating an incentive for rural SMEs and agro-business, improving the law and order situation, and ensuring decentralized and accountable rural service delivery.
— Land is becoming a scarce commodity in Bangladesh and land grab (particularly of public land) by the powerful is quite common. There is thus a need to review land administration, ownership distribution, rights and titles, and land use policy, followed by enforcement of laws and policies.
— Use of quality agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, farm equipment, and irrigation is critical to promote diversification, and increase productivity. However, despite major improvements, agricultural inputs continue to experience problems such as lack of timely availability, poor quality, and high price, that are even more marked in remote rural areas. There is therefore a need to examine the impact of input price policy and subsidies on profitability and competitiveness, and explore options for their reform.
—There is a need to understand the constraints to access to rural finance, particularly by the “missing middle” farmers as well as SMEs. There is also a need to reform ‘agricultural banks’, to improve their recovery rate, reduce defaults, and increase the number of commercial bank branches in the rural areas.
—There is a need to institutionalize participatory water management through water management organizations, improve operations and maintenance of flood control infrastructures, and strengthen water sector institutions, particularly BWDB and the Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO). There is also a need to promote information sharing to reduce downstream flood damage.
—In view of the growing threat to the longer term sustainability of natural resources, there is a need to design and enforce a policy and institutional framework for natural resources management and conservation, including user participation. This will be critical to sustaining high agricultural growth in a country like Bangladesh with poor natural resource and high population density
—- Improving physical and social infrastructure – roads, electricity, communication, water and sanitation, health and education – in rural areas is fundamental both for promoting employment opportunities and welfare. While Bangladesh has done well on developing rural roads, it has a long way to go to meet other infrastructure needs, such as electricity, which is only available to 15 percent of villages. Because of the inefficiency of the government in public service delivery, the non-governmental sector has de facto become one of the main actors in development efforts. While decentralization efforts remain incipient, the efficiency and sustainability of public service delivery remains in question.
— Creating and strengthening local organizations such as water management organizations, farmer associations, women’s groups and village development committees is also essential to improving service delivery and accountability. Empowering rural communities, especially women, to create livelihood opportunities, such as through micro-credit programs is particularly important in this regard. Increasing the capacity for collective action has effectively enhanced the communities’ bargaining power, their access to assets and confidence in micro-enterprise development.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Professor, Department of Public Administration, Chittagong University and Dr. Amir M. Nasrullah, Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration, Chittagong University)
