2023 Seed Grant Award Problem Statements
Water and Sanitation
Problem #15: Farmers are Facing Challenges of Salinity in the Cultivation of Crops
Country/Region of execution: Bangladesh
Collaborating Organization: World Concern
World Concern is a Christian global relief and development agency whose supporters’ faith compels them to extend opportunity and hope to people facing the most profound human challenges of extreme poverty: World Concern works in Africa, Asia, Haiti, and the Americas. Established in 1955, World Concern works to alleviate suffering among the poor in developing countries and to address the root causes in each context. World Concern works in multiple sectors to build the capacity of village-based groups, non-governmental partners, and other counterparts to lead and sustain their development. World Concern is committed to best practices of inclusive, participatory, and accountable relief and development and maintains rigorous financial and program monitoring standards. Program assistance is provided on the basis of need alone, without regard to race, creed, or religion.
Problem Statement Description: Salinity Problem:
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity; between 1991 and 2020, Bangladesh has faced 197 major disasters due to climate change. The crisis is more pronounced in the southwest coastal region. Economic crises, including food shortages, loss of livelihoods, health risks, malnutrition, and disease, are affecting the people of the southwest coast. The impacts of climate change are not gender-neutral, as they affect women and girls most because of societal norms, systematic inequalities, and distinctive reproductive obligations in Bangladesh. Numerous climatic hazards, namely flooding, droughts, and salinity intrusion, disrupt the food production system, disproportionately burdening girls and women with food insecurity. The number of people displaced from their lands. Projections indicate Bangladesh, already one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change will likely face more frequent, larger-scale, and intensified floods, cyclones, and droughts. Bangladesh has prepared a National Action Plan on Climate Change stating that an investment of $230 billion is required for 27 years (2023–2050) based on the loss and damage forecast.
The Kalapara, Potuakhali, Bangladesh coastal belts are some of the nearest areas to the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. This bay is one of the greatest sources of saline water. The total cultivable land is 49210.20 hectares, but only 645 hectares are usable for cultivation for three seasons. The saline intuition significantly impacted agriculture, and shrimp, along with watermelon, took the lead over other crops. Normal crop production is hampered by inadequate irrigation water sources, the unavailability of salt-tolerant crop varieties, the habitual cultivation of local varieties, climate change-related natural disasters, and insufficient locally adaptable technologies for mitigating salinity problems.
World Concern Bangladesh is operating one project named PARIBARTAN (a project on DRR, CCA, alternative livelihood, and reduction of GBV) [PARIBARTAN; a Bengali word to change or to transform something], WCB is working at Kalapara subdistrict of Patuakhali district of Bangladesh with farmers who are facing challenges of salinity in the cultivation of crops. Moreover, saline water damages houses and other materials. Drinking water is a problem for local people and outsiders of Kalapara, Patuakhali. It is gradually increasing due to climate change and several natural catastrophes in the community.
