Seeds of resilience: How climate-adaptive agriculture is reviving a Santal village in Naogaon
Once barren due to droughts and erratic rainfall, drought-resistant seeds, water-saving techniques, and vegetable gardening has revived agricultural diversity in an area dominated by mango monoculture
It was mid-July, and the midday heat was unforgiving in Laxmipur, a tiny Santal village tucked away in Naogaon district. A lingering depression in the region promised heavy rain the following day. The air was thick with humidity as we sweat profusely; the heat was so stifling it felt almost unbearable.
However, a surprising burst of green framing the mud-walled homes greeted us. It felt almost like an oasis in the desert, though the region itself is not short of greenery. Naogaon's Sapahar upazila is carpeted with mango trees and little else. Yet here, every house in this Santal village now hosts a lush vegetable garden — something unimaginable just a year ago.
"There was a time when we grew all sorts of crops, but then for years, we could hardly grow anything on this land," said an elderly villager, Ganesh Murmu, wiping the sweat off his brows.
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Over the last two decades, this region has witnessed major shifts in agriculture, driven by both climate change and the pursuit of profit. Erratic rainfall has disrupted traditional farming, surface water has become increasingly scarce, and groundwater levels have continued to drop deeper and deeper.
As a result, local residents struggled to grow vegetables and other crops. At the same time, mango cultivation proved highly profitable, inspiring more and more farmers to switch. Naogaon soon surpassed traditional mango hubs such as Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, excelling in both quality and quantity.
Everyone recognised where the profit lay and saw in mangoes a second chance at farming on increasingly dry land. Gradually, the region shifted almost entirely to a monoculture of mango cultivation.
"It was only when we were instructed and trained to grow vegetables beside our houses, even on this dry land, that things began to change," Ganesh said.
In the Santal village, these small patches of green are the result of BRAC's climate-adaptive agriculture programme, which is helping drought-hit communities with drought- or salinity-resistant seeds that they can use to farm again despite the water scarcity and erratic rainfall.
Most families here are poor, but after being trained and guided on how to grow vegetables in their once-barren yards, they have not only improved their incomes and food security, but also created opportunities for women to actively contribute by engaging in farming activities.
"Even last year we didn't have vegetable gardens near our houses. But now, if you look around, most of us are growing vegetables," said Gita Murmu, a community member, as she welcomed us to look around the village. "The climate here never allowed us to grow vegetables before. Now we can because we've learned techniques to farm even with water shortages. We use fertiliser, surround the gardens with nets, set up pest catchers, and use mulching to cope with the lack of water."
Kaniz Fatema-Tuz-Zahura, a BRAC climate change programme manager, said they are teaching the community to grow additional crops on the same land where mango is cultivated to ensure better land use and improved yields.
"You will see in our projects that where there is a mango tree, there is turmeric growing beneath it as well. We are combining two to three crops to maximise land use," Fatema explained.
"To tackle the water shortages, we are using mulching technology, which involves covering the area with polythene sheets. This retains water, conserves moisture and reduces the need for irrigation. The local community in the Santal village is already replicating this and receives regular briefings from the adaptation training centre," she added.
BRAC's Adaptation Clinic of Climate-Adaptive Agriculture project, with an office based in Sapahar, serves as a one-stop service centre to strengthen the adaptive capacity of climate-vulnerable farmers.
Mobile Adaptation Clinics take advisory services directly to remote communities, while market linkages and financial tools such as crop insurance further boost resilience.
Operating in eight districts and 17 upazilas, the programme provides holistic support for climate-adaptive agriculture, offering stress-tolerant seeds, soil and water testing, and climate-smart technologies.
Farmers are trained in multi-cropping, integrated farming and water-saving methods such as mulching and mini-ponds, alongside access to real-time weather information.
At the edge of the Santal village lies a pond. BRAC officials explained that it previously struggled to retain water, so they redesigned it to improve its water-holding capacity. This not only allows the community to store water for longer periods, but also helps farmers appreciate the importance of conserving surface water.
While other ponds in the area hold barely two to three feet of water, this one contains over 10 feet. Its total capacity is 1.7 million litres. The pond is 20 feet deep, with a plastic sheet lining the bottom to prevent seepage, thereby preserving water for longer, said Zillur Rahman, area manager of the BRAC Climate Change Project.
Jhyoti Murmu, a teenage student at the village, said, "Since the pond was re-engineered, there has been a lot more water."
"In this area, the main problem is drought," explained Zillur Rahman. "It begins in February and lasts until May, often extending into June and July. The rainfall pattern is very erratic. For instance, last year it rained in September, but this year the rain started earlier.
"Although the area is now dominated by mango monoculture, 30 years ago there was a diverse range of crops. Why have those crops disappeared? Because of the drought. Today, only mangoes are cultivated, and the water levels drop year after year," he added.
Zillur said that if the drought-resistant seed model can be replicated across all water-stressed regions, other communities will benefit throughout the year.
In the vegetable plots, thousands of crop-damaging insects have been caught in yellow sticky pheromone traps.
"These traps use a specific lure that mimics the scent of female insects, attracting the males, which are then eliminated by a targeted insecticide. This helps control fruit-boring insects," explained Mohidul Islam, a Climate Change Programme specialist at BRAC.
"We train locals to build these pheromone traps themselves, and thousands of insects get caught in each one," he added.
Shushila Chorai, a resident of the village, expressed her happiness with the changes in her life, which have opened new opportunities.
"Very few of us own agricultural land. This season, perhaps one or two families in our community have a small plot where two or three people can find work, while the rest remain idle. Some keep cows, goats or sheep. Others cut grass or herd cattle in the fields," Shushila described the typical life of a Santal woman. "Growing vegetables has opened a new window of opportunity in our lives."
