Climate Change and Environment

In view of the worldwide concern over climate change, CPD is giving increasingly more emphasis on environmental issues in its research work. It is in this context that CPD is engaged in conducting a number of studies for last several years analyzing the impact of climate change on various sectors of Bangladesh. One of the major initiatives taken in this regard was research undertaken in related areas as part of a three-year long research project on climate change in partnership with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). CPD has also carried out a study on climate change and rice production in Bangladesh in 2008. The study presented a synthesis of projection on impact of climate change on agricultural production in Bangladesh and underscored the importance of strengthening research on drought, flood and saline-tolerant rice varieties to facilitate crop adaptation in future.  In 2010, CPD completed two studies under the project focusing on the adaptation strategies in Bangladesh agriculture to combat negative consequences of climate change. These studies analysed changes in climate conditions in Bangladesh over the last four decades with special focus on flood-prone and drought-prone ecological conditions. Documenting the changes and patterns of the rural economic life and livelihood activities in four districts during 1990-91 to 2004-05, the studies analysed the changes in cropping pattern, livelihoods and poverty situation in these areas.