Boro rice cultivation practices and adaptive strategies of farmers to flash floods in Sylhet haor basin
Paper Details
Boro rice cultivation practices and adaptive strategies of farmers to flash floods in Sylhet haor basin
Abstract
Flash floods significantly threaten agricultural livelihoods in the Sylhet Haor Basin of Bangladesh, particularly impacting Boro rice cultivation. This study examines the cultivation practices and adaptive strategies that Haor farmers employ in response to these flood risks. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 298 farmers from both highly and moderately flash flood-vulnerable zones between November 2021 and April 2022. The findings reveal that farmers largely rely on traditional practices and cultivate a mix of modern, local, and hybrid rice varieties, showing limited adoption of improved agronomic methods. Key constraints to boro rice production include early-season flash floods, cold stress, the unavailability of short-duration high-yielding varieties, and inadequate irrigation infrastructure. To cope with these challenges, farmers have implemented several adaptive strategies, such as cultivating short-duration rice varieties, transplanting early and aged seedlings, diversifying rice varieties, harvesting at around 80% maturity, and preparing raised seedbeds. However, the effectiveness and application of these strategies vary depending on the level of flood vulnerability. Farmers emphasized the importance of rice varieties that are short-duration, cold-tolerant, and resistant to submergence, along with improved agronomic practices. The study recommends targeted breeding programs, robust seed systems, enhanced extension services, and infrastructure development. Additionally, integrating local knowledge into national agricultural planning is crucial to strengthen the long-term climate resilience of boro rice farming in the flood-prone Haor region. These insights are valuable for researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners aiming to enhance sustainable rice production in vulnerable Haor ecosystems.
Abedin J, Khatun H. 2019. Impacts of flash flood on livelihood and adaptation strategies of the haor inhabitants: a study in Tanguar Haor of Sunamganj, Bangladesh. The Dhaka University Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences 8(1), 41-51. https://doi.org/10.3329/dujees.v8i1.50757
Adnan MSG, Dewan A, Zannat KE, Abdullah AYM. 2019. The use of watershed geomorphic data in flash flood susceptibility zoning: a case study of the Karnaphuli and Sangu River basins of Bangladesh. Natural Hazards 99(1), 425-448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-019-03749-3
Akter N, Islam MR, Karim MA, Miah MG, Rahman MM. 2022. Impact of flash floods on agri-based livelihoods in sylhet haor basin. Annals of Bangladesh Agriculture 26(1), 61-73. https://doi.org/10.3329/aba.v26i1.67019
Alam MS, Quayum MA, Islam MA. 2010. Crop production in the haor areas of Bangladesh: insights from farm level survey. The Agriculturists 8(2), 88-97. https://doi.org/10.3329/agric.v8i2.7582
Azmeri A, Isa AH. 2018. An analysis of physical vulnerability to flash floods in the small mountainous watershed of Aceh Besar Regency, Aceh province, Indonesia. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 10(1), 1-6.
Bari SH, Husna NEA. 2023. People’s perception on climate change effects and adaptation in the haor basin of Bangladesh. International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology 15(1), 40-53. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHST.2023.127893
Baten A, González PA, Delgado RC. 2018. Natural disasters and management systems of Bangladesh from 1972 to 2017: Special focus on flood. OmniScience: A Multi-disciplinary Journal 8(3), 35-47.
Bhuiyan, MKA, Islam AKMS, Sarkar MAR, Mamun MAA, Salam MU, Kabir MS. 2020. Agronomic management and interventions to increase rice yield in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Rice Journal 24(2), 161-181. https://doi.org/10.3329/brj.v24i2.53453
Biswas JK, Hossain MS, Mamin MSI, Muttaleb MA. 2008. Manipulation of seeding date and seedling age to avoid flash flood damage of boro rice at the northeastern haor areas in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Rice Journal 13(1), 57-61.
Biswas JK, Mahbub MAA, Kabir MS. 2011. Critical temperatures and their probabilities on important growth stages of rice. In: Bashar MK, Biswas JC, Kashem MA, Eds. Annual Report of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, 2008-2009. BRRI, Gazipur 1701, p. 127-129.
BRRI (Bangladesh Rice Research Institute). 2016. BRRI Annual Research Review Report for 2015-2016. Plant Physiology Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur 1701. (data unpublished)
CEGIS. 2012. Master plan of Haor Area. Ministry of Water Resources, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Summary Report 1, p. 1-72.
Dey NC, Parvez M, Islam MR. 2021. A study on the impact of the 2017 early monsoon flash flood: potential measures to safeguard livelihoods from extreme climate events in the haor area of Bangladesh. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 59, 102247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102247
Etikan I, Bala K. 2017. Sampling and sampling methods. Biometrics Biostatistics International Journal 5(6), 00149.
Hassan AWR, Das AK. 2015. Social issues: occupation change and food security in Bangladesh. In: Food Security and Risk Reduction in Bangladesh. Springer, Tokyo, p. 53-63.
Herath HML, Thirumarpan K. 2017. Climate change induced adaptation strategies by paddy farmers: Special emphasis on socio economic insights. Journal of Agricultural Sciences 12(2), 124-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jas.v12i2.8230
Hoq MS, Raha SK, Hossain MI. 2021. Livelihood vulnerability to flood hazard: Understanding from the flood-prone haor ecosystem of Bangladesh. Environmental Management 67(3), 532-552. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01441-6
Hossain M, Biswas P, Islam R. 2023. Cold-tolerant and short-duration rice (Oryza sativa L.) for sustainable food security of the flash flood-prone haor wetlands of Bangladesh. Sustainability 15(24), 16873. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416873
Islam MA. 2017. Project completion report on identification of flashflood coping promising crop production practices of the haor farmers, p. 3-19.
Islam SN. 2016. Deltaic floodplains development and wetland ecosystems management in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Rivers Delta in Bangladesh. Sustainable Water Resources Management 2(3), 237-256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-016-0047-6
Kamruzzaman M, Shaw R. 2018. Flood and sustainable agriculture in the Haor basin of Bangladesh: A review paper. Universal Journal of Agricultural Research 6(1), 40-49. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujar.2018.060106
Kazal MMH, Rahman S, Hossain MZ. 2017. Poverty profiles and coping strategies of the haor (ox-bow lake) households in Bangladesh. Journal of Poverty Alleviation International Development (JPAID) 8(1), 167-191.
Neelima P, Rani KJ, Raju CD, Keshavulu K. 2015. Evaluation of rice genotypes for cold tolerance. Agricultural Science Research Journal 5, 124-133.
Pinaki R, Dwoha C, Mintu D. 2017. Havoc in Haor. The Daily Star, April 14, 2017.
Rahaman MA, Rahman MM, Hossain MS. 2019. Climate-resilient agricultural practices in different agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh. In: Leal Filho W, Ed. Handbook of climate change resilience, p. 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71025-9_42-1
Rahman MR. 2019. Technological Fixes for Disaster Management in Bangladesh. People at Risk, Disaster and Despair, Disaster Research Training and Management Centre, University of Dhaka, p. 71-95.
Rashid MM, Yasmeen R. 2017. Cold injury and flash flood damage in boro rice cultivation in Bangladesh: a review. Bangladesh Rice Journal 21(1), 13-25. https://doi.org/10.3329/brj.v21i1.37360
Salam MU, Hossain SMA, Kashem MA. 1995. Water management in winter rice through agronomic manipulations under highly flood-prone conditions in Bangladesh: a simulation study. In: International Rice Research Conference on Fragile Lives in Fragile Ecosystems, Los Banos, Laguna (Philippines), 13-17 Feb 1995, IRRI.
Smit B, Wandel J. 2006. Adaptation, adaptive capacity and vulnerability. Global Environmental Change 16(3), 282-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.03.008
Sumon A, Islam A. 2013. Agriculture adaptation in haor basin. Climate change adaptation actions in Bangladesh, p. 187-206.
Uddin MT, Hossain N, Dhar AR. 2019. Business prospects and challenges in haor areas of Bangladesh. Journal of Bangladesh Agricultural University 17(1), 65-72. https://doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v17i1.40665
Nurunnaher Akter, Md. Rafiqul Islam, Md. Abdul Karim, Md. Giashuddin Miah, Md. Mizanur Rahman, 2025. Boro rice cultivation practices and adaptive strategies of farmers to flash floods in Sylhet haor basin. Int. J. Agron. Agric. Res., 26(6), 7-18.
Copyright © 2025 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.