Climate change and food security in Northern Bangladesh: experience of RDRS in implementing Stress Tolerant rice

Abstract

Nowadays climate change has become a big issue worldwide. Every country and each person is concerned about climate change. It is a fear to face mega disasters in future due to climate change and that is why almost all the countries are taking mitigation actions and plans to fight and survive the severity of disasters. In Bangladesh, Government, NGOs and other different types of organizations are taking various initiatives to face the current and future threats of climate change. In the course of changing climate the food security issue is a very important aspect to deal with. Whatever the disaster occurs, to keep people live food should be ensured first and foremost because without food people cannot live. As a mitigation option for climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction food security should be first condition. The objective of this paper is to find out the implementation and impact of Stress Tolerant Rice in 8 districts of Rangpur Division within the working area of RDRS Bangladesh to ensure food security as a mitigation option for climate change. In this paper two variety of stress tolerant rice will be discussed which are Flood Tolerant Rice and Draught Tolerant Rice. The field area for this research will be within working areas of RDRS Bangladesh; Lalmonithat, Kurigram, Dinajpur Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Rangpur, Nilphamari and Gaibandha of Rangpur Division. All the data for this paper has been collected from Field visits in RDRS working areas, reports and case studies collected from related staff, books and internet.