Stakeholders gather for Asian Mega-Deltas Initiative in West Bengal

Asian Mega-Deltas for Climate and Livelihood Resilience, known as the AMD Initiative, is one of the initiatives under CGIAR for the three main deltas in Asia, namely the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in Bangladesh and India, Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar, and Mekong River Delta in Vietnam and Cambodia.

The three Asian mega-deltas are home to tens of millions of people, a source of food and economic security beyond its population, and hotspots of biodiversity. However, they are vulnerable to climate change and unsustainable development. The focus of the AMD initiative is to improve delta resilience, inclusiveness, and productivity through climate-smart agricultural practices and nutrition-sensitive interventions.

In India, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is taking part in this initiative in the Sunderban Ganges Delta in West Bengal, in collaboration with the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), a research institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

On 13th September, 2024, a stakeholders' workshop was conducted at CSSRI Canning to showcase the outcomes of the activities under the AMD Initiative and to brainstorm innovative ideas suitable for the region. The initiative work is going on in the districts of North 24 and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.

Dr. D. Burman from CSSRI presented an overview of the activities going on in the two districts of Sundarban region. Land shaping is one of the main technologies being scaled up in the region. It involves modifying the surface of the farmland for harvesting excess rainwater as well as making the land surface suitably shaped for the adoption of improved cultivation of diversified crops and integrated farming. This ensures water availability for irrigation, particularly for the dry season, as well as a reduction in soil salinity build-up, reduction in drainage congestion, and allows year-round cultivation of multiple and diversified crops along with fish.

Fishery is one of the alternate sources of income for farmers and CSSRI is building their capacity by training them on improved fish production techniques. During the last dry season, farmers were introduced to zero-tillage potato cultivation with rice-straw mulch technique by the International Potato Center (CIP), a member of CGIAR. The team is actively working towards creating a resilient cropping system in the delta region.

Moreover, new varieties have been introduced in this region, and suitable varieties of rice were selected through participatory varietal selection. Cropping intensification is also being promoted through growing vegetables in sacks placed in the waterlogged paddy fields.

In order to introduce stakeholders to the technologies being scaled in other deltaic regions, the Bangladesh team was invited to present their experiences, challenges and opportunities.

Dr. M Mondal from IRRI shared the experiences of working in the polder regions of Bangladesh. The coastal zone of Bangladesh presents an untapped opportunity for enhancing food security through sustainable cropping practices. Despite the construction of polders by the Government of Bangladesh, productivity remains low due to challenges like waterlogging, which is the primary constraint to crop intensification.

However, the coastal zone, rich in water resources, offers significant potential if managed intelligently. Synchronizing sluice gate operations with tidal patterns could help manage waterlogging and support the cultivation of High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of rice during the wet season, as well as enable early establishment and safe harvest of dry-season crops. Utilizing residual soil moisture and semi-mechanized practices could further sustain dry season productivity. By addressing the issue of waterlogging and adopting these innovations in 50% of the coastal polder zone, Bangladesh could potentially produce an additional 3-5 million tons of food grains annually, contributing to the country's future food security and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1 and SDG 2).

Dr. E Rahaman from CIP presented an overview of the zero-till potato cultivation in Bangladesh and the benefits reaped by farmers under this technology.

Following the presentations from the countries, a brainstorming session was held and the floor was opened for the participants to share the innovations deemed suitable by them to be scaled up in the deltaic region of West Bengal.

The workshop was attended by the representatives from Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) and Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), the other ICAR institutes in West Bengal, who suggested to include short duration varieties in fishery cultivation to benefit farmers more compared to longer duration varieties.

Integrated mangrove cultivation was also suggested to be included in the programme. Apart from acting as a natural barrier to storms, cyclones and flooding, mangroves are a source of storing carbon in their flooded soil which is known as blue carbon.

Mangroves are one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet. The importance of mangrove was also emphasized by Dr. Mondal from CSSRI, who also shared the changing rainfall pattern in delta region, stating that the number of rainy days in the past ten years has decreased from 84 to 79 days, however the rainfall intensity has increased, thereby increasing the importance of a robust drainage system.

The workshop was attended by representatives from the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of the region, and they emphasized the importance of nutrition security in the region. Backyard vegetable production using organic manure (home and farm waste) was suggested to be given more focus to improve nutrition security for the entire family.

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