How can smart farming secure future of coastal communities?

Bangladesh's coastal areas are increasingly exposed to climate change. Sea level rise, soil and water salinization, intensified cyclones, and coastal erosion are creating severe losses in agriculture and food production. These environmental changes are rendering traditional farming unsustainable, resulting in a reduction in crop yield and financial loss. With the livelihoods based on agriculture and fishing under threat, coastal villagers are becoming more vulnerable and therefore the need to have adaptive technology-based farming methods to ensure their future.

Smart farming is a new method of farming based on the use of technology, information, and automation as the cornerstones in enhancing the productivity and efficiency of farms. Smart farming utilizes technologies like sensors, mobile apps, GPS, drones, and weather forecasting to facilitate farming people to decide when and how to plant seeds, water, or harvest crops. Smart farming reduces wastage, saves resources, and yields more with real-time information and accurate methods. It is most beneficial to regions that suffer from climate stress, such as Bangladesh's delta coastal area.

Smart farming plays a vital role in coastal regions where salinization, water shortage, and climate shocks are a threat to conventional agriculture. Smart devices like soil sensors, weather monitoring devices, and precise irrigation will allow farmers to utilize limited resources in the best possible way and protect themselves from climate shocks. Smart plans also facilitate salt-tolerant seeds and efficient use of water and thus facilitate coastal dwellers to react to changing conditions without losing food availability and livelihoods. It provides a good answer to the long-term climate resilience.

To combat salinity and climate stress in coastal areas, researchers and farmers in Bangladesh are turning towards salt-resistant crops. Specific paddy like BRRI dhan67 and dhan71 and salt-resistant vegetables and pulses are being grown to meet critical soil and water conditions. Such hardy crops are able to grow on saline-susceptible land, providing higher yields and food security. Its application is enabling coastal farmers to sustain farm production despite mounting cumulative effects of land degradation and climate change.

Sophisticated technologies such as IoT sensors, drones, and mobile applications are revolutionizing the science of farming in Bangladesh. IoT sensors check moisture, temperature, and salinity levels of the soil to enable farmers to manage irrigation effectively. Drones take aerial photographs to identify diseases in plants and check their development. Weather forecasting apps provide real-time weather information, enabling them to plan planting, harvesting, and fertilizers more effectively. Technologies like these enable farmers to make effective decisions, prevent wastage of resources, and improve yields particularly critical for climate-vulnerable coastal regions.

In Bangladesh's coastal area, smart farming is also revolutionizing aquaculture, which is a significant livelihood source for many families. Self-adjusting feeders, water quality sensors, and remote-monitoring systems are a few of the technologies that support fish and shrimp farmers in maximizing feeding, maintaining healthy ponds, and preventing disease. These technologies maximize productivity as well as reduce losses. Introducing smart approaches to aquaculture, coastal communities can boost stability in income and food security apart from coping with environmental challenges such as water salinity as well as temperatures better.

The government of Bangladesh promotes smart agriculture under initiatives such as NATP 2 under Ministry of Agriculture and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) that promotes climate-resilient research and technology transfer. The CS MAP climate smart mapping tool enabled by CGIAR introduced with IRRI, CEGIS, and BARC enables the farmers of 10 districts to adapt to coastal climate hazards. International partners and NGOs, such as Amal Foundation's COUNTREE and the RECSA consortium, facilitate coastal agri-tech adoption, training, and salt-tolerant crop development.

In coastal districts like Satkhira and Khulna, farmers adopting smart agriculture practices have seen remarkable changes. With salt-tolerant rice varieties, weather apps for updates, and solar-powered irrigation, yields of crops have been enhanced considerably in spite of salinity and water stress. Some fish farmers have also adopted automated feeding management and water quality monitoring, preventing losses and enhancing gains. These success stories outline how technology is enabling coastal communities to adjust to climate change while maintaining sustainable income and availability of food.

The farmers need to be adequately trained and digitally literate for coastal smart agriculture in Bangladesh. The rural farmers have no idea about the new gadget, app, or data-driven farming methods. The government departments, NGOs, and local organizations should take initiative with demonstration-based training, hands-on training, and awareness programs so that they could be confident and well-informed. Once farmers possess information to use technology in the optimal manner, they will be in a position to make better decisions, increase productivity, and optimize the use of smart farming technologies tailored for their local problems.
Smart agriculture increases productivity through the use of accurate information and advanced machinery to optimize planting, watering, and fertilization. Smart agriculture minimizes losses due to pests, diseases, and weather variations through early alert and timely action. Increased productivity and reduced input costs enable farmers to earn more and invest in their business. This subsequently, results in improved food security, stable livelihoods, and reduced dependency on outside aid by vulnerable coastal populations, therefore making the communities more climate and economic shock resilient.

Smart farming adoption in the coastal areas of Bangladesh is encountering a sequence of severe challenges. Unaffordability of technology tools and lack of reliable internet facilities are among the challenges that discourage extensive adoption. Poor infrastructure, including poor roads and irregular power supply, is part of the roll-out challenges. Additionally, the farmers are not technology-conscious and are resistant to new technology, thus against adopting a change. These are issues calling for evidence-based policy responses, capacity development, and low-cost technological options to facilitate inclusive and effective take-up.

There must be supportive policy and technical investment so that Bangladesh's coastal smart farming's sustainability for the long run could be ensured. There must be formulation and implementation of climate-resilient agricultural policies adaptive to the immediate issues of coastal areas. Increased public-private initiatives can raise innovation, improving infrastructure, and technology availability for farmers. There must also be investment in capacity building, research, and connectivity. Collective and joint action will enhance resilience, productivity, and sustainable livelihoods for the poor coastal communities.

The writer is an LLB student, Department of Law, World University of Bangladesh