Land- and Water-Based Adaptive Farming Practices to Cope with Waterlogging in Variably Elevated Homesteads

Md. Moshiur Rahman (), Tapan Kumar Chakraborty, Abdullah Al Mamun and Victor Kiaya
Additional contact information
Md. Moshiur Rahman: Fish Conservation and Culture Lab, Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering, University of California, 17501 Byron Hwy, Byron, Davis, CA 94514, USA
Tapan Kumar Chakraborty: Food Security Livelihood and DRR, Action Against Hunger, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Abdullah Al Mamun: Food Security Livelihood and DRR, Action Against Hunger, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Victor Kiaya: Regional Food Security & Livelihoods Programme, Action Against Hunger, 93100 Paris, France

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: Waterlogging is a major problem in the south-western region of Bangladesh; this study was conducted in the eight most affected areas in order to enhance agricultural production by applying Land- and Water-based adaptive and alternative Farming Practices (LWFP). The study was designed to support target (research) farmers by raising one part of their homestead to use for living and agricultural farming, with the other part excavated to store rainwater and use for aquaculture. The study selected two groups of control farmers: those with ponds and those without. The study was conducted in two phases (i.e., phase 1—pilot phase and phase 2—extended phase), with each year divided into three cropping seasons: summer, rainy, and winter. The study found that the research farmers’ income was significantly higher from vegetables (both pilot and extended phases: p < 0.001), dike crops (both pilot and extended phases: p < 0.001), fish (both pilot and extended phases: p < 0.001), livestock (pilot phase: p < 0.01 and extended phase: p < 0.001), and poultry (pilot phase: p < 0.05 and extended phase: p < 0.001) compared to the control farmers. Moreover, the research supported the empowerment of women, which was not found in the control farms. Overall, the research program was embraced by the local communities as a very successful model. Furthermore, the study showed how waterlogging marginally affects very poor people, and that they can cope with this severe problem by adopting various farming practices. Therefore, the application of this research approach is suggested for similarly affected areas.

Keywords: climate change; integrated farming; adaptive agriculture; flood effects; livelihoods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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