Future Food Security of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a country with many problems. What is the futute serious problem coming?.............READ IT..... IF YOU WANT TO KNOW

Introduction:

Though Bangladesh is a small country, it has many problems. Every year, Bangladesh is facing lots of problems. The most important problem of Bangladesh is over population. Because of over population, many new problems are coming in near future. As for reason, Food security will be an important major issue in near future. Food is one of the basic needs of human being. We need enough food for our survival. In Bangladesh, rice is considered as a staple food. As the population size of Bangladesh is very large, food production is also be taken at large scale. “The growing population of the country puts serious pressure on land, water, forest and other natural resources.”[1] Day by day population size is getting bigger, and the natural resources are being used quickly. So, per capita natural resource allocation is diminishing speedily. A study of World Bank and BCAS reported that the population of Bangladesh will be 170 million within 2020.[2] Try to imagine the picture, at present the natural resources of Bangladesh are being exploited seriously, and the environment degradation is spreading seriously because of growing population. “A growing population means smaller allocation of resources resulting low productivity of food and goods, less drinking water, less sweet water for agriculture and industrial activities, and hygiene may become less and less healthy due to increasing contamination by human uses”[3] if environmental problems are increasing in this way. What will be the real picture of Bangladesh? People of Bangladesh need to realize it. On the other hand, rest of the land is using for intensive cropping. Due to high pressure on natural resources, many natural resources are right now under threat. If Bangladesh can not protect the important natural resources like Land and Water, in near future Bangladesh will face a massive epidemic hunger.

Important natural resources that we need to produce food:

Land:

Land is one of the important elements of food production. “The total land area of Bangladesh is about 14.4 million ha. Of this, about 59 percent is cultivable land, 14 percent is forest area, and 27 percent is not available for cultivation.”[4] “Eighty percent of country is occupied by flood plain land, Eight percent by terrace land (the Madhupur and Barind tracts), and Twelve percent by hills.”[5] “Variations of rainfall from year to year cause relatively frequent floods and droughts.”[6] And, in Bangladesh rice is the main staple food crop. As a result, In Bangladesh, farmers are cultivating rice extensively.

Water:

Water is the other essential element of agricultural development. Without adequate water we can not grow food. In many parts of Bangladesh, farmers are not getting enough water for cultivation. Water scarcity is another important matter of agricultural development. Dr Hossain also advocated “efficient use of water in irrigation. If water use can be economised, then more land can be irrigated through using the same resources and infrastructure”[7]

Present Situation of these Natural Resources:

Land Degradation and Agricultural Productivity in Bangladesh:

Land degradation is creating for the cause of environment pollution. Land degradation means when the land is lost its actual quality. “Example may be flood, steep slopes, rains of high intensity, strong leaching in humid and droughty situation in the dry regions. This is very much true for Bangladesh. Direct causes of degradation are irrational land use and inappropriate land management practices.”[8] What are the reasons behind land pollution? There are many problems behind this. I think these are the most important reasons:

Deforestation of hilly land, unsuitable for sustained agricultural use
Shifting cultivation without adequate fallow periods
Intensive cultivation of MV crops; primarily cereals
Unbalanced fertilizer use
Absence of soil conservation management practices
Problems arising from improper planning and management of irrigation systems[9]


Urbanizing is also another important matter of land diminishing and land degradation. Increase of urbanization is making arable land vulnerable too. Bangladesh bureau of statistics found that the net cropped area of Bangladesh was 59 percent in 1974. It was decreased by 6 percent in the year 1996.[10] This is very simple that the growing population needs more shelter, more food.

Location of Bangladesh is also critical factor of cultivable land. Because of its location, cultivable area of Bangladesh is varying.The significant factor influencing agricultural activity in Bangladesh is its location in the basin of several major rivers. These rivers make the land highly fertile and cause continuous loss and gain of alluvial land through riverbank accretion and erosion. As a result, the total cultivable area varies, changing the baseline for calculating land availability and land use. The char lands (new lands) and adjoining bank lines account for about 6 percent of total land area in Bangladesh and support 4 percent of the total population. Land lost due to erosion leads to emergence of other char lands, but it takes several years for the land to become suitable for cultivation.[11]

And it is also true that we are loosing our land due to the various erosions. For example: water erosion, river bank erosion. It is seen that water erosion is accounted for 25 percent degradation of agricultural land.[12] And the river bank erosion is causing for the “strong river current enhanced by mechanized river traffic and/or channel diversion during the rainy season. About 1 million hectares of floodplain areas are prone to river bank erosion.”[13]

Inefficient use of water:

Inefficient water using is another important matter of food production. Especially a country like Bangladesh should use water resource properly. According to Mr. Saiful Haque Improving the productivity of water used in agriculture is the key to solving many of the problems, as well as managing water as a resource. Getting more crop per drop enhances food security and makes more water available for nature, industry and domestic users. It enables us to reduce the need for investments in new water storage and irrigation infrastructure -- investments many countries like Bangladesh can't afford. By improving the productivity of water on rain-fed lands, we can contribute to the food security and incomes of the poorest people[14]Because of water problem, many new problems are creating in agriculture sector. Without this important resource, we will not be able to provide future food security to whole country.

Why this is a Serious Problem:

Food security will be a serious problem for Bangladesh in near future. Day by day the population of Bangladesh is increasing alarmingly.

Current population growth in Bangladesh:

Though it is true that the population growth of Bangladesh is decreasing every year, but the growth is not stopping permanently. Even it is not possible to stop population growth permanently Population growth is a continuous process. We can not stop it permanently. From Bangladesh Bureau of statistics, population census, 1991 and UNFPA, 1998 found that the population growth of Bangladesh was 2.17% in 1991. After that in 1998 it was only 1.7%. Yes, it is true that our current population growth is declining every year, but it is also true that our arable land is also destroying every year.

Population vs. food production in Bangladesh:

In my introduction part, I told that rice is the main staple food in Bangladesh. Rice cultivation is being taken place in Bangladesh extensively. We are using our net cropped area intensively. We can make it clear by analyzing this table:
it is seen that in 2000-03 our land area was 14.84 million of hectares, net cultivable land was 8.42 million of hectares, and total cropped area was 14.30 million of hectares. By seeing percentage of net cultivable land in terms of total land, we can find that our total net cultivable land is over 56.71%. But we are using almost all land for cropping. As a result, cropping intensity is much higher in Bangladesh. In 2002-03 cropping intensity was 175.81. This cropping intensity can be the future threat to our food security. World Bank and BCAS projected that the population of Bangladesh will be 170 million within 2020. So, it is a big challenge for our future food security.

On the other hand, every year rice production is increasing. In 2004-05 total rice production was 25.18 million metric ton. That’s fine, we have no alternatives. But how long it will continue? BRRI (Bangladesh Rice Research Institute) is making higher yielding crops for adequate production for the people of Bangladesh. But, every year, at least 1.7 percent population is increasing. On the other hand, arable land is diminishing every day. How long the people of Bangladesh will get food? This is big question. We should think it deeply.


Solution:

How can we solve this problem? For this, we have to think differently.

Rethinking land productivity:

For maintaining land productivity, we need to use our land natural friendly. We have to make a strict land management policy. The ministry of land will be responsible for all land related matters. The ministry will maintain all matters of land reforms, land use planning, and lands protect planning.

Improving water productivity:

Water is the vital element for agricultural development. We should minimize our water loss. Water can be tomorrow’s success for Bangladesh. For this reason, we have to make the best use of water. Mr. Saiful Hoque writes that following steps can make the water use efficiently:
Crop breeding: we can use less water by increasing yields without increasing water demand.

Reducing land degradation:

By stopping soil erosion, we can reduce land degradation. Though “there is a common misperception that degradation of the agro-ecosystems is a slow process that can be always reversed with adequate inputs such as fertilizer”[15]

Low-cost technologies: low cost technologies use is another important fact of irrigation. Mr. Saiful Hoque suggests that “various forms of precision irrigation -- mainly sprinkler, drip irrigation systems and dead-level basins -- can increase yields over good but ordinary irrigation systems by 20 to 70 per cent”[16]

Improved irrigation management practices: Even he thinks that the most important matter of cultivation for Bangladeshi farmers is that in an uncertain environment farmer should have enough water to invest in seeds, fertilizers, and land preparation.
Population stabilization:


At the beginning of my paper I told that population is the main problem of Bangladesh. I think population stabilization is the key to tomorrow’s success for Bangladesh. For this reason, we have to take a comprehensive planning. This planning should include “family planning, improving reproductive healthcare, reducing infant and child mortality and supporting education.”[17] The most important thing is that awareness among people.

Conclusion:

Natural resources are limited. We are living in this world by using these resources. By destroying these resources mean destroying our own existence. For this reason, firstly we should be more aware of our natural resources that we have now and try to make the best use of them. In my own point of view, I think every person needs to understand that nature and existence are not separate from each other. We can not leave nature. Bangladesh is the most densely populated country of the world. As a result, Mmany new problems are coming day by day. Thus, the people of Bangladesh need to think the development process differently. Before going to use natural resources, we should make adequate planning. As the population of Bangladesh is large; thus, we should make a plan that how we can use this huge asset (population). How we can make this asset capable? For this reason, we have to rebuild people again by giving proper education. After that, it will be possible for us to make a new Bangladesh where every people will understand the nature. Every people will understand the country. And to make it feasible, we have to give people there basic needs like food they need. For this reason, we have to think natural friendly food production method which will be better for all people. If we want to make human resource strong quickly, we need education and health care first. I think these two things are the further condition of development process. “A poor economy may have less money to spend on health care and education, but it also needs less money to provide the same services, which would cost more in the richer countries.”[18] “Japan’s economy development was clearly much helped by the human resource development related to social opportunities that were generated”[19] In the conventional paradigm to attain economic growth the concept of "grow first and clean later” was the underlying principle. In the last decade, particularly after the Rio summit in 1992, it has been realized worldwide that sustainable development can not be achieved without environmental conservation.”[20] If we can do all this, we will enable the country to progress towards a sustainable environment and a development process


SOURCE:

[1] Dr. Saleemul Huq, Dr. A Atiq Rahman, Dwijen Mallick, Population And Environment In Bangladesh, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS)p.4 source: internet

[2] Dr. Saleemul Huq Dr. A Atiq Rahman, Dwijen Mallick, Population And Environment In Bangladesh, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS),p.2, source: internet
[3] Dr. Saleemul Huq Dr. A Atiq Rahman, Dwijen Mallick, Population And Environment In Bangladesh, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS),pp. 1-5, source: internet
[4] Impact of Land Utilization Systems on Agricultural Productivity, COUNTRY PAPER: by Md. Nazmul Ahsan and Md. Nuruddin Ahmed, Published by the Asian Productivity Organization, p.131, source: internet

[5] Brammer hugh, Land use and Land use planning in Bangladesh, chapter 12, p.268
[6] Land use and Land use planning in Bangladesh, ibd,p.268
[7] BANGLADESH AGRICULTURE AT THE CROSSROADS:
CURRENT CHALLENGES, report no: 36, p.5, Centre for Policy Dialogue, source: internet
[8] Land degradation and agricultural productivity in Bangladesh,
Land Degradation Situation in Bangladesh, Soils Division, BARC, 1999, source: internet
Ñ marginal varities
[9] Land degradation and agricultural productivity in Bangladesh,
Land Degradation Situation in Bangladesh, Soils Division, BARC, 1999, source: internet
[10] Impact of Land Utilization Systems on Agricultural Productivity, COUNTRY PAPER: by Md. Nazmul Ahsan and Md. Nuruddin Ahmed, Published by the Asian Productivity Organization, p.132 source: internet
[11] Impact of Land Utilization Systems on Agricultural Productivity, COUNTRY PAPER: by Md. Nazmul Ahsan and Md. Nuruddin Ahmed, Published by the Asian Productivity Organization, p.132 source: internet
[12] Land degradation and agricultural productivity in Bangladesh,
Land Degradation Situation in Bangladesh, Soils Division, BARC, 1999, source: internet
[13] Land degradation and agricultural productivity in Bangladesh,
Land Degradation Situation in Bangladesh, Soils Division, BARC, 1999, source: internet
[14] Improving Water Productivity, How can we get more crop per drop?Md. Saiful Haque writes from Stockholm, daily star web edition, vol.5
[15] Improving Water Productivity, How can we get more crop per drop?Md. Saiful Haque writes from Stockholm, daily star web edition, vol.5
[16] Improving Water Productivity, How can we get more crop per drop?Md. Saiful Haque writes from Stockholm, daily star web edition, vol.5
[17] Population And Environment In Bangladesh, By Dr. Saleemul Huq Dr. A Atiq Rahman, Dwijen Mallick, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS),p.3, source: internet
[18] DEVELOPMENY AS FREEDOM BY AMARTYA SEN, P.48
[19] DEVELOPMENY AS FREEDOM BY AMARTYA SEN, P.41
[20] BANGLDESH: STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 2001, P.119

This writings is done by the help of Ariana Bain who is currently a masters student at Yale University.

Promotosh Barua

9th semester, School of Business

University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh