Objective and methodology

Focussing on neighbouring areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal (India) highly influenced by the Ganges system, this research aimed to better understand and measure the poverty, food security and water management in regards to climate change and to identify the adaptation strategies adopted by the farmers. The analysis has been conducted based on secondary data and literature review, qualitative data and quantitative data collected in three districts of West Bengal and four districts of Bangladesh. Most of the findings are based on transcripts from focus group discussions, key informant interviews and on a survey conducted with 1200 households equally distributed in both side of the border.

Study areas

Considering the comparative purpose of the analysis, the study areas in West Bengal and in Bangladesh had to share the same agro-ecological characteristics. In Bangladesh, four districts, namely Chuadhanga and Maherpur-High Ganges Flood Plain, and Faridpur and Gopalganj- Low Ganges Flood Plain were selected in the North-west region of Bangladesh. In case of West Bengal, the survey was conducted in the three districts, Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia- High Ganges Flood Plain.

First the report described the institutions and policies in place in the Ganges basin context across the two states. The role of local government institutions, key actors for the implementation of various policies, has been underlined both for Bangladesh and West Bengal. In the case of Bangladesh, NGOs are also important institutions for service delivery but also for social mobilization. The agricultural growth history of West Bengal and Bangladesh are not parallel trends, the Green Revolution reached West Bengal a decade later than Bangladesh; and West Bengal is currently witnessing a slow-down in agriculture which is not felt in Bangladesh. We described the agricultural policies currently on-going but also highlight the lack of awareness among the farmers about these policies and the gaps in their implementation. Analysing the access to the market, constraints have been found in West Bengal as well as in Bangladesh. Both the countries are lacking a well-developed infrastructures network for transport. More importantly the lack of storage capacity for agricultural outputs is a major bottleneck for farmers to receive remunerative prices.