“Climate-Smart Agriculture” & “Agritourism Village” Project Launched in Satkhira.
Satkhira is a coastal district of Bangladesh where about 22 lakh people live. The people of this region are directly affected by climate change. Water problems in the region due to salinity, and because of this water problem, no crops are growing and because of this lack of crops, food is not being produced. People are suffering from food problems, people are suffering from malnutrition due to lack of food, people not able to work on agricultural land, then it is seen that they are not getting food and also there is no work, People are living below the poverty line.
Now is the time to adapt to climate change and expand climate change resilient agricultural systems. SESDO launched the Climate-Smart Agriculture project at Habibullaha Agro Farm in Achimtala village in the initial phase. Habibullaha Agro Farm has become a successful farm with the support of SESDO in climate change tolerant improved varieties of agriculture. Seeing this successful project of Climate-Smart Agriculture, other farmers in the area are also encouraged. In a joint initiative of SESDO and Habibullaha Agro Farm, the local youth and other farmers have also started this farming system through training from here.
Successful entrepreneur Mr. A S M Raihan, head of Habibullaha Agro Farm, said that under this Climate-Smart Agriculture project, he initially cultivated capsicum, green chillies, and papaya and he was successful. His presence has now inspired other unemployed youths and farmers in the area to take up this cultivation. He expressed his gratitude and thanks to SESDO and said that if SESDO continues the operation of Climate-Smart Agriculture project then new development of agriculture system will be created in the area.
After seeing the success and impact of this Climate-Smart Agriculture project, SESDO has decided how to make this agricultural system sustainable, And There is no alternative to sustainable agriculture to deal with climate change. In that context, SESDO has undertaken another new project, that is Agritourism Village. And SESDO believes that Agritourism will play a major role in making this agricultural system sustainable. This project is going to be the first in the history of Satkhira district. SESDO has designated Katakhli village of Tala Upazila to implement this Agritourism Village project. In that context, SESDO has taken steps to make Katakhali village of Satkhira district suitable for Agritourism. As such, Katakhali is going to be the first Agritourism Village in Satkhira. SESDO believes that Climate-Smart Agriculture and Agritourism Village projects are interrelated, if these two projects can be kept together then Sustainable Agriculture will be ensured on the one hand as well as Climate change Mitigation, Combat Climate Change and Climate Change Resilient Agriculture on the other hand will also speed up the process.
“Climate-Smart Agriculture”
To secure a sustainable future for agriculture and food systems that supports farmers and other agriculture stakeholders to build capabilities to mitigate the effects of climate change. We need to protect plants for people & planet. Healthy plants can help to: end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, boost economic development, protect nature, environmental sustainability, ecological balance and food security. Small-Scale farmers grow 1/3 of the world’s food and produce 30-34% of the global food supply. Farmers around the world are protecting biodiversity. When biodiversity is lost, small-scale farmers are amongst the worst affected, being more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. Preserving and enhancing biodiversity is crucial for protecting livelihoods. We are helping small-scale farmers enhance the natural biodiversity in the soil by using effective micro-organisms. These changes are helping improve diets, earn extra incomes, and improve the soil-all while saving on fertilizer expenses.
“Agritourism Village”
A form of tourism in which tourists stay in farms or agricultural villages, either to experience farm life, or as a base for exploring the countryside. Agritourism, through which visitors can experience how a farm works, presents a unique opportunity to leverage Bangladesh’s rich agricultural heritage and diverse rural landscapes. With its vibrant farming communities and traditional agricultural practices, the country could become a leading destination for such tourism.