BSS, Rajshahi :
Discussants at a pre-budget view-sharing meeting here Wednesday said time-fitting measures has to be taken for boosting agricultural productions for ensuring food security amid adverse impacts of climate changes.
They viewed that the existing agricultural system and food security has started facing a serious threat because of the climate change.
“The ongoing climate change at alarming rates has severely affected every sector including agriculture and its diversity creating a real threat to food production,” said Akbarul Hassan Millat, President of Rajshahi Union of Journalists, during his keynote presentation.
Barendra Unnayan Prochesta (BUP) and Oxfam jointly organised the discussion titled “Climate Change: Agriculture and Food Security” held at the conference hall of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood and GROW supported the programme.
Hassan Millat stressed for conducting more research to innovate newer technologies and ways for adaptation and expanded cultivation of stress tolerance and high yielding crops thorough popularising those among the farmers.
The deteriorating rate of climate change cannot be reduced overnight and positive results of the proposed global efforts might start improving the situation very slowly in course of time, but agro-productions must be continued.
With BUP Director Foyzullah Chowdhury in the chair, former acting mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Shariful Islam Babu, RCC Panel Mayor Nurun Nahar Begum, Agriculturist Abu Muhammad Musha, Oxfam Campaign Officer Nazem Ahmed, President of Rajshahi Press Club Anwarul Alam Fatik and Regional Manager of Prip Trust Saiduzzaman Sipon also spoke.
During his research findings on the issue, Safiquzzaman Zoarder, a teacher of Rajshahi University, expressed concerns as the present impacts of climate change have adversely affected the country’s agriculture, irrigation, navigation, ecology, bio-diversity, weather, environment and underground water levels.
He said emphasis should be given on agriculture, food and social safety net, infrastructural development and disaster management and disaster risk reduction in the vast Barind tract.
“Our traditional transplanted Aman cultivation was completely reliant on rainfall. But the cultivation has become irrigation dependent at present because of rainfall scarcity,” said Agriculturist Abu Musha.
He said Barind Multipurpose Development Authority is using around 7,000 power-driven deep tube wells, while the farmers are using more than 3.5 lakh diesel-run pumps in the region to save the Aman crops.
