Participatory Evaluation of Climate-Smart Risk Maps and Adaptation Plans (CS-MAP) at Community Level for the Coastal Agriculture of Bangladesh

Bangladesh, an agricultural country, is highly vulnerable to climate change and is ranked seventh among the most extreme disaster-prone countries in the world (UNDP, 2023). The country faces exceptional challenges due to their low-lying and flat topography, subjected to riverine flooding (due to sea level rise), frequent cyclones, storm surges, heavy rainfall, tornados, river bank erosion, salinity, high population density, high level of poverty, and solely reliance of livelihoods on climate-sensitive sectors and extreme weather events resulting from climate change (Islam et al., 2024). The total area of the country is about 14.75 million hectares (Mha) of which 51.25% (7.56 million hectares) of the land is cultivated to feed a population of 169.8 million (BBS, 2022). Half of the total agricultural land is reserved for double cropping while 13% of land is usable for triple cropping. Though there is a possibility of sufficient production of food required to meet the domestic demand, natural calamities and climate vulnerabilities regularly stand before the country’s food self-sufficiency. Crop production in Bangladesh is facing more challenges due to the negative impacts of climate change, especially salinity intrusion, drought, and flooding that significantly damages the economy and lives of people Therefore, a root-level adaptation plan is a must for the country. To deal with the condition, the Asian Mega-Deltas for Climate and Livelihood Resilience (AMD) initiated by CGIAR aim to create resilient, inclusive, and productive deltas that maintain socio-ecological integrity, adapt to climatic and other stressors, and support human prosperity and well-being. Developing climate-risk maps and adaptation plans (CS-MAP) is one of the actions adopted under the AMD initiative. 08 (eight) CS-AMPs were prepared for 03 (three) districts (Khulna, Patuakhali and Barguna) from 02 (two) coastal divisions of Bangladesh. District-level CS-MAP considered two climatic risks for widely cultivated crops for extreme and normal scenarios and adaptation strategies identified by local stakeholders from different administrative levels. The approach is centred on developing a participatory, community-driven process that combines top-down scientific understanding with the personal experiences of individuals most impacted by climate change.