Overview

Human activities are changing the Earth's climate. The expected change in the Earth’s climate would alter regional agricultural production systems with substantial consequences on food production. Global climate change puts agriculture at great risk, especially in smallholder systems and associated societies, which forms greater portion of South and Southeast Asia.

Experiences have shown the importance of assessing local coping strategies to climate variability and climate change. Hence understanding the linkages between climate risks and community-based local adaptation strategies has recently gained considerable interests. Initiation of risk perception and adaptation assessment framework for climate change can eventually be used to develop a methodology for effective delivery of policy options. This exercise has to be coupled with the human dimension, especially with respect to resource-poor smallholder farmers. Linking the human and biophysical systems and the consequences of climate change is essential to inform public policy. Such type of integration with the public is one of the mandates of several global change programs, including ADPC’s climate change adaptation projects.

Improved Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change for Sustainable Livelihoods in the Agriculture Sector

The project was initiated by ADPC in 2005 with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The work focuses on four upazillas in Chapai Nowabgonj (Gomastapur and Nachole) and Noagoan (Porsha and Sapahar) districts of North West Bangladesh. The project aims to develop methodology to better understand:

• how the anticipated climate change would affect the livelihoods in agricultural sector

• how results of climate change impact modeling can be translated into agricultural response options and livelihood adaptation practices

• how these options can be locally tested and implemented in a participatory way with farmers

• how to communicate the results into the agricultural and climate change community

• how the improved adaptation practices and long-lead climate forecasting can help to improve adaptive capacity of livelihoods in agriculture sector

The methodology involves assessment of past and present climate impacts through historical climate data analysis. The local perceptions of climate hazards would be documented through employing Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methodology. The climate analogues derived from historical climate data and climate change model outputs would be used for developing climate change scenarios for the pilot sites. The climate change scenarios will be translated into agricultural sector impacts at the pilot study locations based on the existing management practices. A good of understanding climate change impacts, local capacities and coping strategies and the formulation of technically-viable and good agricultural practice menu are the expected outcomes of the project. This project would help facilitate the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation into national development goals.