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PROJECT-AGRICULTURE-LAUNCH
Climate smart agriculture raises productivity: experts
DHAKA, Dec 11, 2019(BSS) – Experts here today underscored the need for adopting climate smart agriculture technology (CSA) to increase productivity in the greater agriculture sector as an estimated 5.3 million poor people will become highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change by 2050.
Agriculture consisting of crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries is extremely vulnerable to climate change as rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, variable rainfall and humidity and that’s why suitable technology needs to be adopted.
To maintain the food productivity, the country needs to introduce more resilient and less climate-sensitive technology aiming to improve productivity, the experts said at the launching ceremony of the Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSAIP) and Livestock and Dairy Development Project.
Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdul Razzaque attended the function as the chief guest while State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock spoke as the special guest.
“Country’s more than 70 percent people and 77 percent of its workforce live in rural areas. Nearly half of all Bangladeshi workers and two-thirds of workers in rural areas are directly employed in agriculture which needs to be more productive by adopting climate resilient technology”, according to the investment plan jointly being implemented by the government and the World Bank Group.
The World Bank is supporting the government of Bangladesh to integrate climate change considerations into the agriculture policy agenda through a climate smart agriculture investment plan (CSAIP).
CSAIP is a commitment of the Bank’s Agriculture Global Practice under the IDA18 agenda to support 10 countries to develop national Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) strategies and investment plans, according to the plan document.
Terming the climate smart agriculture investment plan as time befitting, the agriculture minister said, “The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to investing more in agriculture sector for the greater benefit of the poor people.”
CSA can help Bangladesh maintain rice self-sufficiency and increase non-rice crop, livestock and fish production, said the Minister.
The crop sector has progressed much but now the productivity needs be maintained by introducing such climate resilient technology, he added. “The two projects which are being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank would help the country to be self reliant not only in rice production but also in supply of nutritious food”, Dr Razzaque remarked.
Chaired by Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Raisul Alam Mondal, the programme was also addressed, among others, by Regional Director (South Asia Sustainable Development) of the World Bank Group M John Roome as the Guest of Honor and Acting Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan of the World Bank Group (WBG) Mrs Dandan Chen.
The investment plan identifies five key investment areas totalling about 809 million US dollars to set the agriculture sector on a resilient growth path, contribute towards achieving the government’s 2041 development targets, reduce emissions, and reach Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) regarding climate change and the Delta Plan goals, said M John Roome.
“Being among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, Bangladesh must take urgent actions to build on its impressive track record in the agriculture sector,” said WBG Acting Country Director Dandan Chen.
The US $500 million Livestock and Dairy Development Project will help improve Livestock and dairy production as well as ensure better market access of 2 million household farmers and small and medium-scale entrepreneurs.
Representatives from different ministries and donor agencies attended the launching ceremony.
BSS/ASG/OG/BR/1820