Cordaid hosts learning event to advance saline-resilient agriculture in southern Bangladesh

Cordaid organised a learning and sharing seminar titled "Breaking the Salt Barrier: Rewriting the Story of Saline Lands in Southern Bangladesh" on 30 September at Hotel Sheraton Dhaka. The event brought together government officials, researchers, private sector representatives, academicians, and development partners to discuss lessons, challenges, and future pathways for saline-resilient agriculture in Bangladesh's coastal belt.

Coastal areas account for over 30 per cent of Bangladesh's land, with more than half remaining fallow due to salinity intrusion, climate change, and related challenges. Rising soil salinity, driven by sea-level rise, cyclones, and tidal surges, has significantly reduced agricultural productivity and threatened food security for millions of smallholder farmers.

Over the past four years, Cordaid has worked through the COASTS project to help smallholder farmers adapt and build resilience. With the project concluding in June 2025, the seminar reflected on its experiences, highlighted key lessons, and explored future pathways.

Welcoming participants, Douwe Dijkstra, Country Director for Cordaid Bangladesh, said, "Salinity is not just a farmers' challenge; it is a national challenge. COASTS has shown that solutions exist, but real change happens when communities, government, and the private sector work together. Today is not an ending, but a beginning."

The event was chaired by Dr Begum Samia Sultana, Director General, Soil Resources Development Institute. Dr Md Mahmudur Rahman, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, joined as Chief Guest, while Mr Koos Dijkstra, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, attended as Guest of Honour. Special guests included Md Obaidur Rahman Mondol, Director, Field Service Wing, Department of Agricultural Extension; Md Belal Uddin, Director, Training Wing, Department of Agricultural Extension; and Ms Ella Lammers, Senior Advisor, Department for International Development, RVO.

The panel discussion featured Tajwar Awal, Director, Lal Teer Seeds Limited; Professor Dr Golam Rabbani, Bangladesh Agricultural University; and Amarendra N Biswas, Principal Scientific Officer & In-Charge, Salinity Management and Research Centre, Khulna, SRDI, moderated by Professor Abu Noman Faruq Ahmmed of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University.

Dr Md Mahmudur Rahman highlighted the importance of saline-tolerant seeds and technology, emphasising research, innovation, and public–private collaboration to address the challenges faced by 19 affected coastal districts. Ms Ella Lammers praised the project's impact, noting increased cultivation, higher production, stronger market linkages, and women's empowerment.

Tajwar Awal and Amarendra N Biswas underlined the importance of developing locally produced saline-tolerant seeds and mapping suitable varieties for different soil types to improve yield.

The seminar concluded with a collective call to action to scale up saline-resilient agriculture, mainstream such practices into government extension services, strengthen partnerships, ensure seed availability, and promote community-led, nature-based approaches. The COASTS project has demonstrated that climate challenges can be transformed into opportunities for innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth.