TBT Desk, Rajshahi: SAF Bangladesh, in partnership with DASCOH Foundation and funded by HSBC, convened a high-level workshop on “Climate Resilient Agricultural Practices and Promotion” on July 16, 2025, at BRAC Learning Centre, Rajshahi, under the CRAAB Project. The event brought together senior government officials, agricultural scientists, and development partners to advance collaborative solutions for climate-resilient agriculture in the Barind region.

Md. Farhad Zamil, Executive Director of SAF Bangladesh, welcomed participants and stated, “Our goal is to scale scientifically proven, profitable solutions for farmers through inclusive partnerships. This workshop reflects our shared commitment to doing just that.”

Highlighting CRAAB’s achievements, Project Manager B.M. Saidur Rahman shared results from trials of the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technique, which showed a 30% reduction in water use and 6% yield increase, marking a major breakthrough for drought-prone farming.

Keynote speaker Professor Dr. Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of Rajshahi University emphasized the climate change impacts and vulnerability of Barind tracts and its urgent need for integrated planning to protect Barind’s food systems and livelihoods from climate impacts.

A key part of the event was a panel discussion on “Effective Collaboration for Climate Resilience in Barind,” moderated by Md. Abdur Rouf, Director – Program Development at SAF Bangladesh. The panel featured experts from key public institutions: Dr. Mohammod Hossain of BRRI, Dr. Md. Abul Kasem, Additional Chief Engineer of BMDA, Md. Abul Kalam Azad of DAE Naogaon, and Dr. Md. Shakhawat Hossain from BARI’s On-Farm Research Division (OFRD), Rajshahi. Discussions centered on climate-resilient technologies, drought-tolerant crops, adaptive cropping patterns, and integrated land-water planning.

Dr. Md. Azizur Rahman, Additional Director of DAE Rajshahi and Chief Guest, lauded the initiative: “SAF Bangladesh brought all the right actors together. Climate adaptation must be central to future efforts—and today showed how we can work collectively.”

Special guests Dr. Md. Abul Kasem (BMDA) and Dr. Mohammod Hossain (BRRI) echoed calls for sustained, multi-stakeholder collaboration.

In closing, Md. Akramul Haque, CEO of DASCOH Foundation, noted, “Climate resilience in Barind is only possible through collective learning and shared action. No one actor can do it alone.”

The workshop concluded with a clear message: collaboration is key to transforming Barind’s agriculture in the face of climate change.

This write-up was originally published in a Bangladeshi newspaper – The Bangladesh Today, dated 18 July, 2025. Here is the link- https://thebangladeshtoday.com/?p=29289