In 2022 – 2023, Nepal achieved a remarkable 4.33 per cent increase in paddy production, churning out 5.72 million metric tons. The images captured by the satellites provided the crucial baseline information that was required to develop this production data. This technology is known as ‘remote sensing-supported crop area mapping ’, and was conducted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Department (MoALD).
Bangladesh is predominantly an agrarian country, with two-thirds of its labour force employed in the agriculture sector. The sector’s contribution constitutes one-third of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while its products account for 32 per cent of the country’s exports.
An EO-mediated agricultural alliance
Given this context, the country’s Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has been according priority to the precise monitoring and estimation of crop area and yield to determine the national and local food demand and supply balance and to gauge social security. In doing so, the major focus has been on effectively utilising satellite remote-sensing (RS) methods in crop mapping, monitoring, and flood and drought risk management. Thus, since 2022, the DAE has been receiving support from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in adopting the methodologies developed by SERVIR-HKH and the NASA Applied Sciences Team (AST) on field data collection and in-season crop area mapping.
This collaboration received a fillip on 25 March 2024 when the DAE and ICIMOD signed a letter of intent (LoI) on establishing an Earth observation (EO) system in the country for crop mapping, monitoring, and risk management (in the areas of flood and drought). This agreement is being seen as a gamechanger, one that will have a remarkable effect on strengthening Bangladesh’s agricultural resilience and risk management capability. Especially so, since World Bank researchers predict that by 2035–2044, the country may see around 6–12 million more people impacted by extreme floods, which amounts to a 40 per cent surge in the population exposed to river floods. And if there happens to be a repeat of the 2004 Dhaka flood levels, the prediction for the 2050s is that the cost of the damages may rise by USD 23 million, assuming present-day infrastructure and economic values.
As for drought, the World Bank’s assessment is that the probability of agricultural drought in Bangladesh will persist at heightened levels between 2041 and 2060, in comparison to the baseline period between 1995 and 2014. Moreover, in a recent survey, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that around 40 million people in Bangladesh, constituting 24 per cent of its population, were food insecure and that the trend has been rising since May this year.
Given these challenges, the fact that the DAE’s partnership with ICIMOD is set to equip the department’s staff with knowledge on cutting-edge Geospatial Information System (GIS) and RS technologies, will help them carry out comprehensive crop monitoring, planning, and climate risk management. By leveraging advanced RS platforms and innovative application tools, they will also be able to conduct precise crop damage assessments. Moreover, the partnership will ensure the timely availability of crucial information on major crop areas and drought- and flood-related risks, thereby enabling informed agricultural planning and policy formulation. And when seen in the larger context of escalating climate challenges, DAE’s partnership promises to bolster Bangladesh’s agricultural resilience and preparedness.
We are happy to collaborate with the DAE in Bangladesh to enhance agricultural resilience by establishing an Earth observation-based system and empowering farmers with timely information and tools for effective decision-making. Through this partnership, we aim to strengthen the capacity of the DAE staff to utilise GIS and remote-sensing technologies for agricultural planning and policy formation. I hope this will contribute to sustainable agricultural development in Bangladesh and help increase food security. – Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD
This collaboration with ICIMOD presents an excellent opportunity for us to harness Earth observation information and geospatial tools to address the challenges related to crop monitoring and risk management. We look forward to leveraging this partnership to enhance our agricultural extension services and our capacity for effective agricultural planning and management. – Badal Chandra Biswas, Director General, DAE
Pre- and post-training: A world of difference
Following ICIMOD’s three training stints for the DAE staff on the use of EO and RS technologies in agricultural mapping, a series of pre- and post-training surveys were conducted to assess the levels of knowledge and confidence of the participants, as well as to get feedback on their overall experience.
It was found that the training programmes had a positive impact on the trainees’ knowledge and technical skills. Prior to the training, self-assessment results had revealed that only 9 per cent of the participants had advanced knowledge in the subject; 22 per cent put themselves in the intermediate level; 30 per cent said that they had basic knowhow about the subject; while 39 per cent said that they knew nothing about it.
But the post-training assessments showed a different picture: 31 per cent had achieved advanced knowledge; and 41 per cent had reached the intermediate level. A substantial shift indeed from a large percentage of the trainees having basic or no knowledge about the subject.
* Please note that the respondents to the pre-assessments numbered 40 and to the post-assessments numbered 28.
As for technical skills, the pre-training evaluations had indicated that 40 per cent of the participants had no confidence in their skills, while 30 per cent had low confidence in using tools like the GeoFairy mobile app and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform for crop mapping. Following the training, a notable improvement was registered, with 32 per cent of the participants expressing high confidence in their technical skills. Overall, there was an 18 per cent and 37 per cent shift from low confidence and no confidence to moderate and high confidence levels, respectively – a clear indication of the training’s effectiveness in instilling technical proficiency among most of the participants.
References
World Bank. (2024). Climate Risk Country Profile: Bangladesh. https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/country-profiles/16813-WB_Bangladesh%20Country%20Profile-WEB.pdf
World Food Programme. (2023). Bangladesh: Food Security Monitoring. https://reliefweb.int/attachments/1684ef0b-684a-484c-bdfa-0153d1f646c2/BGD_mVAM_May%20June%20July%20August_2023_final%20%281%29.pdf