Fields of dust

The sun beats down on Patuakhali's once fertile lands. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall have choked the life out of these fields, turning them to dust. Farmers are forced to abandon their ancestral professions, their dreams withering under the climate's harsh grip. Yet, a flicker of hope emerges in Khulna. Innovative solutions, like climate-resilient crops, have given new life to these lands.
 

Agriculture was his life. But that life, like countless others, has been uprooted by the harsh reality of climate change.

As a child, Nurul Islam used to follow his father to the thriving green fields in Patuakhali's Kalapara upazila. He learned the trade from his old man and took up the profession once he was of age.

Nurul was doing well, cultivating Aman paddy and other crops on his 2.5 acres of land.

But then climate change struck. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and dwindling yields forced Nurul out of his ancestral village. He was compelled to sell his prized oxen, abandon his farm, and seek work miles away as a sanitary worker.

"Struggling to make ends meet for the family, I gradually accumulated Tk 4 lakh in debt. So, I sold most of my belongings, paid back some of the debt and quit farming. Now I am working as a sanitary worker in Chattogram and living there with my wife and daughter," he shared.

Nurul's story is not unique. Across the region, farmers face the same cruel twist of fate, with their agricultural heritage slowly crumbling to changing climate.

Salim Khan, a local farmer, said, "Over the past few years, the temperature in the region has continued rising, causing one-third of paddy saplings to die. Rain is important for paddy cultivation in the region, but it doesn't rain often. Due to this, the output is low, and the rice that is produced is of poor quality, forcing us to use it for poultry feed."

In the last six years, the average temperature in Patuakhali has increased by at least 4.5 degrees Celsius -- from 36.5 degrees in 2017 to 40 degrees in 2023, said Mahbuba Sukhi, in-charge of Meteorological Department in the district.

"Even 15-20 years earlier, rains started from Baishakh [the first Bangla month of the year, April-May in the Gregorian calendar] and continued till around Kartik-Agrahayan [October-November]. Now it starts raining in June-July and lasts for around two and half months," she explained.

"In April 2017, there was 249mm of rain in Patuakhali. In April 2022, the number was 14.1mm. Also, the average rainfall in the district dropped by 83.75mm -- from 229.22mm in 2017 to 145.46mm in 2022," she added.

Dr Md Sahidul Islam Khan, chief scientific officer at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute in Patuakhali, said, "Farmers are no longer getting the expected yield due to rising temperatures, alongside increasing salinity levels in the agricultural land in the coastal areas."

As such, agriculture is no longer profitable and many farmers are switching professions, he added.

According to the data of Department of Agricultural Extension in Patuakhali, the number of people in the district engaged in agriculture dropped from 3.06 lakh in 2013 to 2.66 lakh in 2023.

Farmer Abul Hossain, of North Bablatla village, said, "Around two decades back, I used to cultivate Aus paddy during Baishakh. After that I would cultivate Aman paddy, followed by Rabi crops. But now, there is no rain even in June-July, so Aus cultivation is no longer possible."

Zakir Hossain Hawladar, another farmer of the same area, said, "Many rice varieties, such as Balam, Rajashail, Kalishail, Kalijira, Kala Mota, Lal Mota, Jamir Chal [red rice], and Khaiya Dhan [black variety used for making puffed rice], have disappeared as those are no longer possible to cultivate due to poor rainfall and high temperature."

"Cultivating these rice varieties used to be profitable as it required no fertilisers or pesticides, and were also very nutritious. Instead, farmers are now cultivating Boro rice on a limited scale, which is prone to various diseases and insect infestation, and requires different types of chemical fertilisers and highly potent pesticides that are harmful for one's health," he added.

Nazrul Islam, deputy director of DAE in Patuakhali, said, "Due to a lack of rain, the salinity level of soil increases alarmingly from November to June-July, causing vast crop lands to remain fallow during this time."

"Also, high temperatures cause flowers to dry up, so pollination cannot take place properly, which eventually causes low yield in the case of many crops," he added.

Dr Sahidul Islam said, "The only way to continue agriculture in this condition is by cultivating heat and salinity resilient crop varieties."

Ainun Nishat, environmental expert and emeritus professor of BRAC University, said, "With climate change, crop life cycles are also changing. There is no alternative to reducing the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and plastics locally to prevent environmental pollution. In addition, farmers can opt for storing fresh water in reservoirs such as canals and ponds for irrigation as required."