Training Program on Climate Change

A two-day Training Program on ‘Climate Change’ was held at CSS Ava Center, Khulna during November 23-24, 2011. This training program has been conducted as a part of our ongoing research project ‘Water Security in Peri-Urban South Asia: Adapting to Climate Change and Urbanization’. The Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) is conducting this action research in Khulna in collaboration with Khulna University and the Institute of Livelihoods Studies. This training has been conducted to develop institutional capacity in understanding the climate change issues and adaptation needed in the water sector in Khulna. This training program was designed after a detail need assessment and stakeholder consultation in project sites.  

Day 1

Professor Dr. M. Shah Alam Khan (Project Leader, Peri-Urban Project) and Professor Dr. Rezaur Rahman (Coordinator, Climate Change Training) delivered the inaugural speech of the 2-day training program on Climate Change. Prof. Khan provided a brief background and expectation of the training program. After describing the aims and objectives of the training program, Prof. Rahman outlined the structure of the training program in a logical sequence. In this the training program 26 participants were attended from NGOs, GOs and education institute of Khulna.  

Dr. Md. Rezaur Rahman, Professor, IWFM, BUET conducted the first session. The session was basically on the scientific understanding of climate change. However, as a response to the queries of the diversified participants, the discussion was extended to cover a wide range of issues including mitigation, adaptation and the impacts. General inquiry of the participants in this session was the availability and reliability of long term historic data on climate change specifically for Bangladesh. Some indications of climate change at local level were also pointed out in the session. It was agreed that the prevailing problems in the southwest region (e.g., salinity intrusion) will be exaggerated due to the impact of climate change. The debate on the conservation of the Sundarbans in the context of global carbon negotiation was also raised.

Fig. 1:  Dr. M. Shahjahan Mondal delivering his speech in the CC Training in Khulna

At the 2^nd session of Day 1, Dr. M. Shahjahan Mondal, Associate Professor, IWFM, BUET presented the observed hydro-meteorological trends in southwest (SW) coastal region of Bangladesh. Starting with the understanding and statistical definition of trend analysis, Dr. Mondal sequentially discussed the observed trends in temperature, rainfall, sunshine, humidity and tidal water levels in SW region. He tried to facilitate the brainstorming process of the participants in validating the observed trend with their daily and job experiences. Interestingly some trends (e.g., decreased sunshine duration) were quickly recognized by the participants. Relationship between the Gorai river flow and salinity in Rupsha river was also reported. At the end discussion some participants expressed their eagerness to know the Gorai river system for better understanding the process. This feedback was readily accepted and incorporated in the next more relevant session.

The third session, conducted by Dr. Dilip Kumar Datta, Professor and Head, Environmental Science Discipline, Khulna University, was focused on the attribution of anthropogenic reasons for observed changes in the SW region. Recognizing the necessity for human intervention to the natural processes Prof. Datta emphasized on the limit to such interventions for sustainable development. After a comprehensive presentation of the physiographic, geomorphologic and geologic features of the SW region he explained the anthropogenic causes (e.g., changes in the land use pattern, Coastal Embankment Project, Farakka barrage etc.) of changes in natural system. The session ended with a lively discussion on various pertinent issues including possibility of reverse development, extent of salinity intrusion, priority of climate change over others, scope of tidal river management, alternative of capital dredging etc.

The last session of Day 1 on Climate Change Adaptation in the Southwest Coastal Region was conducted by Mrs. Umme Kulsum, Programme Coordinator, IFLS Project, CAFOD. Mrs. Kulsum basically discussed the major ways of planned adaptation by different sectors focusing on the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. She emphasized the need for promoting spontaneous response under planned adaptation. Areas of inquiry of the participants in this session include sustainability of adaptation program, adaptation financing, cost benefit assessment, peri-urban concern etc.  

Day 2:

Prof. Shah Alam Khan conducted the first session of day-2. Prof. Kahn discussed the topic, the global water supply status, impact of climate change on water resources and utilities, analytical framework and adaptation framework. In his lecture Prof. Khan also discussed the impact of climate change in the regional context of Khulna. According to Prof. Khan the fundamental challenges on water utilities are: urbanization pressure, outdated Infrastructure, competition for water resources. Prof. Khan suggested the following monitoring system for better adaptation with the changing environment.

§  Climate Monitoring,

§  Water Availability,

§  Water Quality, and

§  Water Distribution.   

Engr. S. M. Jaglul Haider, Deputy Managing Director of KWASA conducted the 2^nd session of Day 2, and discussed the present situation and future adaptation strategies of KWASA in Khulna. At the beginning he discussed a brief overview of KWASA and said that Khulna is highly vulnerable to climate change impact. Eng. Haider claims that the salinity has been started to rise after the commencement of Farakka Barrage by India in 1975. In future, salinity intrusion from the Bay of Bengal is also expected to alter the surface and groundwater hydrology of Khulna with daily, seasonal and annual variation in water quality. To adapt the situation KWASA is the pioneer to develop climate resilience water supply infrastructures in Khulna. Construction of alternative water source is the highest priority in Khulna. To meet the present and future water demand, KWASA is now implementing a surface water based water supply project in Khulna, in which the river Modhumoti will be used as a water source.  In the discussion session trainee were asked several question regarding the water quality, quantity and sustainability of the implementing project. In answer, DMD said that this project has been initiated after detail study which is feasible and have long term sustainability to face the present and future demand of water supply in Khulna.

Prof. Shafuil Islam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) talked about the adaptation in rural water supply in the southwest costal region of Bangladesh. At the initial discussion point Prof. Islam talked about the importance of adaptation in rural water supply in Khulna and its periphery. According to Prof. Islam, Community Based Adaptation (CBA) would be best option in rural water supply for the coastal people of Bangladesh. He said that an effective CBA requires an integrated approach that would combine both the traditional knowledge and innovative strategies to address the current vulnerabilities and future adaptation to climate change in this region. CBA also help to protect and sustain the ecosystem that is important for livelihoods of the coastal people.    

The last lecture was conducted by Dr. A. K. M. Saiful Islam, Associate Professor, IWFM, BUET. He discussed the following agenda in his lecture part:

§  Responsibility and GHG Emission Scenarios

§  IPCC, UNFCCC and COP

§  Kyoto Protocol  (COP1 to COP7)

§  The Bali Action Plan (COP 13) in 2007

§  The Copenhagen Accord (COP15) in 2009

§  The Cancun Agreements  (COP16) in 2010

§  Durban Conference  (COP 17) in 2011

§  Bangladesh Position  

In the discussion session, Dr. Islam said that although Bangladesh emit negligible amount of GHGs in the global emission, but it’s a reality that we have to play responsible role in both mitigation and adaptation phases of climate chnage. Dr. Islam also discussed how international negotiation takes place in an international meeting such as the COP. He said in such a big international platform our country representatives or policy makers have very limited scope to discuss a long time for their own country. However, I believe that they always try their best to protect our national interest.  

The final discussion session was on the Peri-Urban Project conducted by Dr. Hamidul Huq. In this session Dr. Huq discussed a brief overview of Peri-Urban Project and the research findings that we had till the date. An evaluation session was also carried out after the discussion points of Dr. Hamidul huq to find the feedback of the climate change training from the participants.

The certificate awarding ceremony of the two days training on climate change held at the CSS Ava Training Center. Honorable Panel Mayor-1 Mr. Azmol Hossain Tapon was the chief guest and Prof. M. Shah Alam Khan chaired the session. Honorable Mayor warmly welcomes to the resources persons of the training program with a special thanks to IWFM, BUET. He also welcome to the organization and agencies those were involved in the training program. A closing dinner of the training program was held at the Hotel Royal International located at the center of KCC. Around 45 invited guests attend this dinner program at Royal. In this the dinner Vice-Chancellor of KU and KUET, DMD of WASA, University faculty, civil society representatives, NGO professionals were attended.

Fig.  2: Group Photo of the participants in the Training Program.

Analyzing Climate change perception at Dadhikot

Among the four peri-urban sites selected for the project, Dadhikot is a site which till day holds the position as traditional food supplier to the urban dwellers. Upon discussion on the local perception of climate change, local opinions were interestingly expressed.

“This year has been a good rain year” has been a general observation among major respondents of middle age. But Mr. Ramji Prasad Neupane's stance on this is quite contrasting. He is a farmer and social activist of age 64 and stated that the rain this year is just a proportion of the rainfall during his young days. He remembered his grandmother recalling her days telling "Hamro jamana ma ghum (traditional umbrella) ma likha  parthyo" meaning- "During our days, we used to get likha (pest) in our ghum due to persistent rain."

During his days he never experienced such persistence in rainfall but still recalled a simple incident of lightning was sufficient for the rainfall to begin. There used to be hardly any night with clear sky during Shrawan (July-August) and says “Shrawan mahina ma aakash ma euta tara dekhyo vane ek lakh muri anna ghatcha"-meaning "If a single star could be seen at the sky during the month of July- August, the crop yield gets reduced by a hundred thousand times." He further added the locally established analysis of climate "Magh ma jati gate pani paryo, Ashad ma teti nai gate pani parcha" meaning  “The date on which it rains during January-February, on the same date it rains during June-July in the next year.”

This old man with loads of experiences and a generosity to share them among youths lamented “2040/2042 saal dekhi prakriti le sath dinai chodyo” meaning- “The nature has started being unfriendly since 2040/42  (1983/85A.D)”, He blamed the rapid population growth as the causative factor. His words gave lucid picture of the change and were amazingly expressive. He explained “Sab ulta pulta vai sakyo” meaning “Everything has been opposite or drastically different.”

His experience as a farmer created a picture of traditional farming system. Traditionally major crops in this VDC have been paddy-wheat, potato as staple crops while maize, soyabean, legumes, millet-radish and vegetable farming was considered to be a subordinate farming. During early 2020s B.S (1963 A.D), planting paddy used to get started by Jestha 20/22 (June 1^st week) where irrigation was accessible and in the other fields after monsoon started which then used to start by the first week of Ashad (Mid June). The indigenous paddy crops such as Thapachini, Yelanpu, Bapu, Guntetauli, Chakhuncha and Marsi were cultivated till 2024-2025 B.S. Thapchini was among the ones harvested first during Ashoj 12/15 (September last week) followed by Yelanpu, Bapu  and the last was Marsi which was harvested during Kartik 20/25 (November 2^nd week). During 2025 B.S (1968 A.D), major agricultural intervention started in this VDC. This was the year of introduction of the chemical fertilizers. In the same year, a new variety of paddy was introduced in the VDC termed Taichin. In his 5-6 Ropanis of land, Mr. Ramji Neupane remembers harvesting in average 15/17 muris of indigenous variety but the new variety gave him 42 muris of yield. In the consecutive years, he increasingly replaced the indigenous variety with the new one and by 2028 B.S (1971 A.D), he completely replaced the old varieties of rice with the new variety. This has been the main paddy variety cultivated in the VDC till days. It was during the same period 2021-2022 B.S (1964-1965 A.D), new variety of wheat Chausathi Gahun, Baunna Gahun got introduced in the VDC. These new varieties of paddy and wheat initially introduced in 2021-22 B.S (1964-1965 A.D) in Tithali, Gundu- a neighbouring VDC and then transformed to Dadhikot after 2-3 years only.

The farmers in the VDC shared of experiencing three phase of transformation in their crop yield. During 2012/13 B.S (1955/56 A.D), crop production was hardly sustainable, 2 muris per ropani of rice which after the aforementioned agricultural intervention increased to 7/8 muri per ropani from 2025/26 B.S to 2040 B.S (1968-1983A.D) but after 2040/42 B.S (1983/85 A.D), the production has again followed a consistent declining trend now being 5/6 muri rice (1 ropani rice= Approx 50 Kg) per ropani (1ropani= 5476 hectares). This has been the trajectory also for wheat, 10/12 pathi per ropani (1 muri=20 pathi= 65 kg wheat) earlier to 4 muri per ropani from 2025/26 B.S (1968/69 A.D) to 2040 B.S (1983 A.D) and then plummeted to 2 muri per ropani.  It was during the same year, Banmara, a new species of weed invaded this VDC.

During 2046/47 B.S (1989/90 A.D), vegetable farming got started in the VDC and has been gradually growing on a commercial scale since then. With growing shift from traditional or organic compost to chemical fertilizers based agriculture, and simultaneously increasing urbanization and economic benefits of cash crops by 2052/53B.S (1996/97A.D) indigenous legumes (masyang, gahat, rato mas) disappeared from the VDC.

In the recent 4/5 years, commercial farming has been increasing as a lucrative option against hardship involved with harvest of traditional crops, of which wheat has been increasingly replaced by cash crops like Pumpkin, Cucumber cultivated in Baisakh (April/May) are ready for market in a month to be sold in Jestha (May/June).

The change in agricultural practices in the VDC has been appearing distinctly but the reasons behind cannot be attributed to a single cause and the farmers have not attributed this to the climate change.

On trying to get the local perception about the change, the elderly respondent strongly denied to relate the changes to climate change. He shared examples supporting the increase in temperature such as no more formation of Thato (Icy film on the water surface). Similarly till 2055/56 B.S (1998/99 A.D), frost formation getting started from Kartik (Oct/Nov) and remaining till Falgun (Feb/March) and Kalo tusaro (Invisible frost) from Falgun ( Feb/March) to Jestha (April/May), while in the recent years, frost is appearing only during Push- Magh (Jan/Feb) in the VDC. Similarly till 2040 B.S (1983 A.D), mosquito used to appear only during monsoon basically around cow-shed while now it starts by Falgun (February) and remains till Ashoj (Sept/Oct) second week.

Though a clear retrospective instances could be constructed as an evident of change in temperature, framing such cases were not very clear regarding rainfall. Mr. Ramji Neupane opined the intensive rainfall and extended dry spells used to occur now and again even during his youth days, but the forest and land cover used to preserve the soil moisture during the dry spells while the roots of the vegetation existed to absorb and transmit as sub-surface flow. He further stressed the decline in the production has by no way been impacted by climate change. Rather believed the unscientific use of the chemical fertilizers (use of Urea only instead of using it in combination with other chemical fertilizers)  that the farmers including him used for higher yield has caused the increase in acidity and soil degradation, of which the ultimate negative spillover effect has been visible as declining quantity and quality of crop yield.

Executive officer of Uttisghari Drinking Water Scheme who is also a local farmer shared his observation regarding the changes in the rainfall over time. According to him, 15 years back the pre-monsoon rain during Jestha (April/May) used to create a real havoc during wheat harvest, then it used to remain dry for almost two weeks, this being followed by the monsoon getting started by 1^st week of Ashad (June) but in the recent 7/8 years, the onset of monsoon has been delayed to Shrawan 10/11((July end). He opined "Monsoon which used to extend from Jestha mid (June 1^st week) or Ashad 1^st week to Ashoj Last week (Sept half) has been completely unpredictable in the recent 5 years".  

He wondered “Industries have been shifted out of the area but still temperature has been going up”. By this time in Mangsir (Nov), temperature must have gone really down but it is still not yet chilling during mornings and evenings. The observation pointed by him about the invasion of an unidentified weed in paddy field which grows as tall as paddy plant is indeed remarkable. Local farmers also emphasized the increasing pest occurrence in crops mostly wheat and vegetables such that spraying pesticide has been a symbol of prestige and self- respect among farmers.

He added "There has been no persistency in rain rather it rains profusely or it remains dry for an extended period. With exception in this year, it has been a decade with very poor winter rain which has been a major problem for the winter crops. The Mahadev khola Rajkulo supplying clean water till a decade earlier has no more remained a reliable irrigation source since a decade”. He elaborated the declining water level in the dug wells which 10/15 years back yielded sufficient water at 30 to 40 feet depth now gives scarce water at 60-70 feet depth. The well that used to fill during 2 days, now does not provide same amount even during 5-7 days. The water reservoir of 0.2 million litres constructed in 2057 B.S (2000 A.D) for water supply under Uttisghari Drinking Water Scheme used to get filled within 10 hours through 3" pipe supply from the source but now requires 17/18 hours to get filled. He pointed the decrease in the rainfall as the cause of this declining water level.

Among other local people consulted, the views expressed were compatible among each other.  They further added, the wind storms and thunder showers which are locally considered characteristic features of months Falgun- Chaitra (March/April) has been reducing in the recent years. Information from Dadhikot that contradicted to the observation made by locals in Jhaukel VDC- the other project site of Bhaktapur district was in this area in the last recent years the paddy cropping has been delayed. Locals of Dadhikot with their familiarity to the conditions of Jhaukhel explained the reason behind was the difference in soil quality in the two sites. Jhaukhel with sub-soil of water holding capacity, the initial monsoon shower remains sufficient for paddy plantation while soil in Dadhikot requires consistent rain for the soil to remain saturated for preparing the fields for transplanting the paddy seedlings.

During discussion, a customary irrigation rule of this VDC was pointed out. This rule allowed the upstream farmer to divert or block the canal for their irrigation use disrespect of time and the need of downstream farmers. As an adaptive strategy, downstream farmers have been hiring drunkards, arranging drinks for them and making them to water their field during nights while among farmers where the irrigation is not possible, boring and dug wells have been a new irrigation water source. The occupational shift towards non-farm based agriculture and from traditional subsistence based agriculture towards commercial farming, poultry, dairy farming, organic farming and horticulture has been widely increasing since early 2060s B.S.(2003 A.D) has also come an adaptive strategy towards developing resilience towards water availability, changing climate, market demand and changing livelihood.

Labor shortage has been a growing problem in this VDC which could be either due to the opportunity towards more lucrative labor on one hand and occupational shift on other has created shortage of labor for agriculture. The changing lifestyle and fragmentation of family towards nuclear family was pointed by the local people as a cause of increasing dependency on agro based labors thereby increasing cost of production which seems very relevant analysis.

With intermingling of climatic, social, economic phenomenon it is not easy to compose any conclusion that can be attributed merely to climate change.

Water – Then and Now (A Personal Note)

A very recent visit to my ancestral village in Bihar was much different from the numerous visits I have made in the past. As a child, I was never aware of the village water issues. Though, I was aware that water in the well dug inside our house was not fit for drinking. I also knew that a major section of the village fetched drinking water from a common well, popularly known as ‘Gopi saa ka kuaan’ – Gopi saa must have been name of a village elderly and ‘Kuaan’ is a Hindi word for well. Many days have passed, but I can still recall the taste of sweet water from this well. Going back to the household scenario, being a joint family, fetching water was indeed a day long ritual for my uncle and cousins residing in the village. Being a visitor and also because I was the youngest among my cousins, I was never asked to fetch water! Now when I see villagers residing in peri-urban villages of Gurgaon, fetching drinking water, I can easily connect with it, emotionally. A subtle difference is the backdrop. On one hand, where my ancestral village has predominantly ‘Kaccha’ houses, these peri-urban villages on the other hand, have newly made concrete houses. However, access to drinking water continues to be a problem. Out of the four villages selected for research, fetching drinking water is a daily activity in three villages. In Sultanpur, villagers walk down to common hand pumps beyond the railway line. In Jhanjhrola Khera, in addition to fetching water from common hand pumps, a vibrant tanker water economy also flourishes. In Budheda, people walk down to hand pumps adjacent to the Gurgaon Water Supply channel to fetch water.

The trip to my ancestral village provided many more insights. I realised that the village has a drinking water supply provided by the public health department. On enquiring about the water supply, I realised that the water supply was erratic and also unequally distributed. In fact, my uncle went on to say that government had wasted money in providing water, as the situation has not improved. He rues paying about Rs. 400 for getting a connection of the supplied water. This issue is prevalent in couple of research sites in Gurgaon as well. Another interesting insight was about the use of village waste water. During this trip, I realised that ponds that I had been seeing since my childhood days, were actually storage points for village waste water. Not just that, this water has been used by villager for growing numerous crops from past 20-25 years. Another uncle of mine, who also happens to be one of the prominent businessmen in the village, was surprised when I told him that consumption of crops grown using this water, could have negative health impacts! In Gurgaon, we come across this aspect in Budheda and Sadhraana.

In short, what I realised during this short visit to my village, was that I had been living in oblivion so far. I also realised that conducting research on water issues has made me more open and aware of my surroundings. It is only because of my current professional and academic tuning that I have become capable of not just identifying these issues but also to look for pragmatic solutions!

Ravirala village members visit Mondigowrelly to study Watershed Development

On the morning of 4^th Nov, 2011 a team of villagers from Ravirala, one of project sites at Hyderabad, visited Mondigowrelly at Yacharam mandal to study the “contours and dynamics” of watershed development. The main aim was to expose the team to possible watershed activities that they could take up to improve water availability for agriculture in general, and to increase the groundwater table in and around Ravirala, in particular. The visit was also motivated by the need for villagers to come together to form a Village Water and Sanitation Committee which could act as a coordinating body for water and sanitation related work in the village and work around the restoration of the Ravirala cheruvu.

Mondigowrelly is village in Yacharam mandal, Ranga Reddy district which has benefitted tremendously from watershed related activities carried out by the village with technical help from MV Foundation, a NGO in Secunderabad and funding from NABARD.

It was a good opportunity for the team to discuss various aspect of funding available, and the process and science behind watershed development. A NET study which maps the topography of the area is undertaken prior to the project to identify the terrain and slope of the land, the water spots and agricultural and other land use patterns in the area under study. Watershed structures are built in accordance with the plan drawn up, and the team got to visit a few of these.

Contour bunds at Mondigowrelly are constructed on a number of farmlands depending on the slope of the land. These break the flow of water from uphill and also allow water to percolate into the ground at regular intervals. At certain points along the area, percolation bunds have also been set up which allow water to stagnate and percolate into the ground more slowly.

The Ravirala team appeared very interested in the dynamics of cooperation between farmers on the placement of these bunds as certain farmlands would stand to be disadvantaged for certain time periods during the course of the project.

A stop at the check dam built at the lower end of the watershed area led to an interesting debate between the members present, on the advantages and disadvantages of the dam being a useful method to convert dry and barren land into agricultural land. The group was interested in a comparison of the perceived increase in the level of the groundwater table before and after the project was introduced.

The team also visited the agricultural fields of a few farmers in the village to get a more nuanced understanding of how the project has started to improve their irrigation and agricultural operations. The farmers at Mondigowrelly had chosen a wide variety of crops including jatropha, mint and castor that are less water intensive. Drip irrigation is also practiced. These practices complemented the gradual rise of the water table in an area that was once dry and barren, the technical team explained

Funding for watershed development is given by NABARD which requires that a farming village that requests funds for watershed development must pitch in 20 % of the total estimated cost of the project (worked out in the NET plan) locally, to carry out any small activity related to the larger project. This can pertain to something as simple as constructing a contour bund with the village pitching in, in cash or in other forms.

*Team at Contour/Percolation Bund constructed by villagers of Mondigowrelly as a pilot project to procure funding from NABARD

At Mondigowrelly, as informed to the team, it was decided that every family in the village, farming or otherwise had to put in 4 man days of work. While some people contributed money for construction materials, others contributed provisions and the like for the entire construction phase of the pilot project. This site was then inspected by NABARD officials who have sanctioned funds for the project for 5 years.

Overall, the team from Ravirala appeared to appreciate this informative visit as was evident from their discussions amongst themselves and the team from MVF. They raised a lot of technical questions and were interested in knowing the kind of watershed development that could take place in Ravirala. They spoke of feeder channels to the Ravirala cheruvu being blocked by construction of check dams in these channels itself by settlements upstream. The exposure thus gained should help this team convey their field experiences to other members of their village at subsequent meetings and contribute to a better  understanding of the issues that a Village Water and Sanitation Committee can initiate.