► The number of poor people has increased by 1.70 percent in two years.
► By 2030, the production of Aman and Aus rice may decrease by 3,76,000 tons.
► 44% of children in farming families in coastal districts are suffering from malnutrition.
“Beside the path is my paddy field; the graceful autumn smiles through the golden paddy stalks in the laps of the green leaves.”
Folk poet Jasim Uddin once wrote such verses inspired by the idyllic paddy fields of Bangladesh. But these scenes from rural Bengal are gradually fading. Climate change is striking hard at the country’s agriculture, severely affecting food production. The risk of a food crisis is growing day by day, particularly in the country’s coastal regions where the problem is becoming more acute. The amount of salinised land is increasing, leading to declining crop yields. In just two years, the number of people living in poverty has risen by 1.70 percent.
According to a study published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) titled “Climate Change and Agriculture in Bangladesh”, the area of saline land in coastal regions increased by about 26% between 1973 and 2009. By 2050, this could increase to 39%, making approximately one million hectares of land unsuitable for agriculture. The report further suggests that by 2030, due to salinity, production of Aman and Aus rice may decrease by around 3,76,000 tons. The coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, and Bhola are expected to be the hardest hit.
In Paikgacha’s Shanta area in Khulna, farmer Shafayet Hossain planted rice seeds for several years but failed to see the golden harvest. Now, his family lives in poverty.
“For several years, no paddy grows on our few plots of land. It's a struggle. The seeds burn as soon as we plant them. The soil is too salty. Now, no one even bothers to sow rice. Our fate is cursed,” he said.
Impact of Heatwaves and Drought on Crop Yields
Around 2.6 million hectares of land in Bangladesh are partially or fully damaged each year due to droughts, floods, or waterlogging. This results in an average annual loss of 1.1 million tons of rice.
The same IUCN report warns that by 2050, tropical cyclones and erratic rainfall could reduce the country's major crop yields by 15–17%.
Rising Food Insecurity
A study published in PLOS Climate titled “Climate Change Impact on Food and Health Security” estimates that around 16.5 million people in Bangladesh faced severe food insecurity in 2024, mostly in rural, agriculture-dependent areas—where climate-induced disasters hit hardest.
The study also predicted a 22% increase in food insecurity from 2021 to 2024 due to climate change. Additionally, data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) shows the national poverty rate rose from 24.73% in 2022 to 26.43% in 2024.
Cyclone Remal’s Devastation in 2024
Cyclone Remal shattered the WAPDA embankment in Paikgacha, Khulna.
Shefali Sardar, a farmer from Jhilbunia village in Paikgacha’s coastal Deluti Union, said, “Our villages were submerged—at least 40 to 50 of them. Roads and homes were washed away. We somehow returned and sowed Aman rice again, but the first crop failed. Even after replanting, yields were poor. Later, my husband took loans to farm shrimp, but that failed too. We can't afford to buy food or feed our children well. We are suffering.”
Vanishing Rice Varieties
A Soil Research and Development Institute (SRDI) study indicates that by 2050, if soil salinity exceeds 4.0 deciSiemens per meter in nine coastal unions, rice yields could fall by 15.6%. In Lakshmipur’s coastal areas, traditional rice varieties are already disappearing, and salinity has severely impacted crop production.
Food Producers Facing Hunger
Natural disasters and climate stress have pushed Bangladesh’s farmers into a dual crisis—malnutrition and food insecurity.
Sushmita Sarkar, a resident of Jhilbunia village, said, “No one cares for us. We can’t provide enough food for our families. There’s no work in the village. Crops don’t grow. Saltwater surrounds us. We have no income.”
The recently published Integrated Nutrition SMART Survey 2025 found high levels of malnutrition in farming households in Sylhet’s haor regions, particularly among children aged 6–59 months and pregnant women.
Meanwhile, data from the Asian Peoples’ Journal of Marginalization and Inclusion (APJMI, March 2024) shows that in coastal farming households, 44% of children suffer from malnutrition. Among them, 40% face stunted growth, and 32% suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
A 2024 study published in the journal Frontiers in Agronomy highlights that from 2011 to 2021, the diversity of nutritious crops in coastal areas has sharply declined. Due to over-reliance on Boro rice, farmers’ diets lack essential micronutrients, as crops like wheat, pulses, and vegetables are being replaced.
According to the 2023 Food Security Information Network (FSIN) report, around 11.9 million people in Bangladesh were food insecure. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) 2022 report states that about 21% of the population faced some level of food insecurity, with 7% in extreme crisis.
Experts’ Perspectives
Sharif Jamil, member secretary of the central coordination committee of Dharti Rakshaye Amra (DHARA), commented that climate change has hit the country's food system the hardest.
“Bangladesh used to have six distinct seasons; now we see only four. Agriculture was once based on a natural calendar, with different crops suited to different seasons. That pattern no longer holds due to the shifting climate. Excessive rainfall, drought, cyclones, and floods are severely disrupting agricultural production,” he said.
He also criticized the overemphasis on technology while ignoring indigenous knowledge, calling it a mistake. He stressed that farmers' long experience and traditional knowledge should play a central role in ensuring food security.
“We’re already facing a food crisis. Our food reserves are shrinking,” he added.
Agronomist Niaz Md. Farhat Rahman said, “Climate change has altered the agricultural calendar, creating multi-faceted production challenges. To tackle these, region-specific adaptation strategies are essential."
He suggested developing research-based crop-weather calendars for each area to reduce climate-related production risks.
MSK/
