Bridging Science and Society. Tailor-made Hydroclimatic Information Services with Farmers in Lower Bengal Delta, Bangladesh

Samenvatting (Engelstalig):

Farming communities in the Lower Bengal Delta, Bangladesh depend on seasonal rainfall for agriculture and livelihood activities. Available information and technology can potentially assist farmers in managing hydro-climatic risks. Currently, they do not have access to hydroclimatic information services well in advance and in a meaningful way. This research aims to co-produce hydroclimatic information services with smallholders for sustainable agricultural practices in the peri-urban delta areas of Khulna, located in the southwest coastal region. I applied a transdisciplinary research framework to assess farmers’ needs and the merit of co-designing a virtual platform for developing and bringing hydroclimatic information services with and for peri-urban farmers. Result reveals that the co-production of hydroclimatic information has eventually improved the management of field-crop, livestock, aquaculture, and disaster risks reduction of smallholder farmers for sustainable agriculture and livelihood practices in the Lower Bengal Delta.