CHANGING RICE-BASED FARMING ALONG WITH LABOR USE PATTERN: A CASE FROM CLIMATICALLY VULNERABLE SOUTHWESTERN OF BANGLADESH

M. Harunur Rashid, M. Khairul Islam Rony, Debabrata Mahalder, Shama Nasrin, Kamala Gurung

Presentation for International Conference on Climate Changge and Social Issues (CCSI) 2012 held at Kualalampur, Malaysia on 28-29 November 2012
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BACKGROUND
In terms of total rice production, Bangladesh occupies the 4th position in the world [FAO, 2010; USAID, 2006]. It has to grow 0.56 MT of additional food each year [CPD, 2004]. > 1 M ha coastal region with less intensity and productivity. - due to increased salinity of river water, floods and droughts, intensity of natural disasters, chances of diseases, Impacts on food and job insecurity, increased migration [Kumar et al.]. Location and gender specific adaptation and coping mechanisms in livelihood [Gwambene, 2007]. These innovations along with labour use pattern by gender should be documented to initiate alternate adaptive systems. Therefore, a study needed to understand and document the experiences and consequences of CC in rice-based farming, labour use pattern by gender in the community adaptation or cope with the changing situation.
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METHODOLOGY
Non-gher: crop land Gher: land surrounded by wider bund for shrimp cultivation

Study area: i) Non gher both affected and non-affeted by tropical cyclones and storm surges, Aila and or Sidr ii) Gher both affected and non affected by Aila and Sidr
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Study site

Methodology

FGD: Common Male and Female group Sample survey

RESULTS
Consequences of climate change and variability on rice farming

Climatic Non-gher affected by Gher affected by Aila and/Sdr variability Aila and/Sidr
Rainfall pattern

- The prolonged dry period affected Aus rice & required more irrigation. - Reseeding and replanting in Aman for water logging.

-Logging damaged aman rice & requires replanting but yielded low. - Water logging washes away fishes . - Water logging delayed boro rice planting requires more irrigation.
- Extreme cold damages boro rice seedling - Low temperature at flowering increases the sterility. Insect infestation higher in rice.
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Temperature - Extreme cold damages boro rice seedling - Low temperature at flowering increases the sterility. Insect infestation higher in rice.

RESULTS
Consequences of climate change and variability on rice farming

Climatic variability Siltation of the river

Aila/Sidr affects nongher system

Aila/Sidr affect gher system

-Overflows the river water and damages aman rice. Salinity of river - Boro rice affected at water and soil reproductive phase. - Higher soil salinity affects the grass in the field.

Cyclone & storm

- stagnant water affects aman rice and washes away fishes. -Higher diseases infestation in shrimp, carps and stunted growth. - Growing vegetables is difficult. Rice provisioning Rice provisioning reduces by 2 months in reduces by 4 months in 7 the affected area. the affected area.

RESULTS
Non-gher: Not affected by Aila/Sidr -Double rice cropping -Salinity is not a major problem

Non-gher: Affected by Aila/Sidr -Mostly single rice cropping -Salinity is a major problem

RESULTS

Gher: Not affected Aila/Sidr

Not affected: Rice-Fish-Vegetables farming

Gher: Affected by Aila and Sidr

Affected: Polyculture of shrimp/prawn and carp farming

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RESULTS
Adaptation strategies in non-gher farming

Climatic variability
Increasing cropping intensity Adopting modern varieties of rice

Non-gher not affected by Aila/Sidr

-Single aman with LV -Double rice (A-A/A-B). - Aus decreased as affected by rainfall pattern. -MV photo-insensitive var. to photosensitive (BR10/11 to BR22/23). -HYV & Hybrid boro. -Rearing more chickens, goats Improved production practice adopted

Non-gher affected by Aila/Sidr

- Single aman with LV -Rice-Non rice. - Aus not possible due to high soil salinity and late rainfall. -MV photo-insensitive var. to photosensitive (BR10/11 to BR23). Limited boro but affected by soil salinity . -Rearing more chickens, goats but higher disease infestation -Selling livestock/poultry -Loan from NGO/bank
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Rearing livestock & poultry Others

RESULTS
Adaptation strategies in gher farming

Climatic variability
Increasing cropping intensity

Gher not affected by Aila/Sidr

-Single aman with LV -Double rice (A-A/A-B). -Rice-fish-veg. (gher)

Gher affected by Aila/Sidr

Single aman with LV -Intensifying ghers with polyculture of fishes.
-Cultivating round year fish (wet season) and prawn/shrimp (dry season) in ghers

Adopting - Aus decreased as modern varieties affected by rainfall pattern. of rice -MV photo-insensitive var. to photosensitive (BR10/11 to BR23). -HYV & Hybrid boro. Rearing -Rearing more cattle, livestock & chickens, ducks and swan poultry/fishing Others Improved fish production in ghers

Fishing & catching crabs in the Sundarbans.

-Selling livestock/poultry/labour -Loan from NGO/bank/non-farm 11

RESULTS
Labour use pattern in rice based farming

Climatic variability
Male

Non-gher not affected by Aila/Sidr

Increased workload. -More time for pesticide application. -Replanting of rice. -Off-farm activities Increased workload -Increased post harvest activities. -New farm activities like seedbed preparation, weeding, selling milk, eggs etc.

Non-gher affected by Aila/Sidr

Increased workload. -More time for pesticide application. -Replanting of rice. -Off-farm activities (more period) Increased workload -New farm activities like seedbed preparation, weeding, selling milk, eggs etc. -Off-farm activities - Non farm activities

Female

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RESULTS
Labour use pattern in rice based farming

Climatic Gher not affected by variability Aila/Sidr

Male Increased workload. -More time for pesticide application. -Replanting of rice. -Off-farm activities (labour) Increased workload -Increased post harvest activities. -New farm activities- weeding, irrigation, harvesting of rice. -Feeding fish in ghers. -More cattle & poultry rearing -Proxy of male work during migration

Gher affected by Aila/Sidr

Increased workload. -Fishing and catching crabs, honey and wood collection in Sundarbans with risk from pirates and tigers. -Off-farm activities (labour) Increased workload -Feeding fish in ghers. -Off-farm activities -Non farm activities -Proxy of male work during migration
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Female

Social Conflict
The women worker sells their labuor for the same working hour as men but got the wage 50-60%. The climate change created the social confliction between shrimp farming vs. crop and poultry farming. There is opportunity rearing duck and swan in the ghers but they damage the PL and small fingerlings which is valuable for productive farming. Diversified activities increased workload of women but increased income of the family. Diversified workload sometimes forced children to do farm work which hampers their education. Conflict between non-rice crop farming vs. cattle grazing in rabi season
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CONCLUSIONS
Salt and drought tolerant crops and varieties are a urgent

need for Aila and Sidr affected area. New methods, techniques and small agricultural equipments and machineries need to introduce to reduce the workload of the community especially the women. Agronomic options need to explore to adapt in water logged and salt affected area. Innovative mechanisms need to explore to manage the sluice gate properly for crop and fish or prawn production. Drainage systems need to be improved in gher areas involving community to cultivate rice and fishes and prawn in waterlogged area. Rice variety with taller plant height needed. Need effort for managing drinking water and irrigation water. Appropriate integrated rice-fish, prawn/fish-duck farming technologies should be explored in the coastal gher areas.
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USAID logo

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We thank the USAID for the support to carry out this study through CSISA-BD Project We are grateful to Mr. Christian Portal, CoP, CSISA-BD for his approval to present the paper in the international conference in Kuala lumpur, Malaysia

Cereal System Initiative for South Asia in Bangladesh

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