Dhaka: Though farmers are encouraged to adopt to climate smart technologies, a precise direction for building a mechanism to connect technologies with farmers is missing in government policies formulated in this regard, reveals a study.

‘The government has developed policies providing a guideline over the new technologies, irrigation system, pest management and seed distribution… Adaptive technologies have been encouraged, but a clear-cut direction for a mechanism to connect the technologies with farmers is missing in the policies,’ said Dr Ainun Nishat while presenting the study report on Sunday.

Besides, he said, the study found the excessive use of pesticides, scarcity of seeds and other important issues remain unaddressed in the government polices.  

The Centre for Climate Change and Environment Research (C3ER) of Brac University conducted the study styled ‘Promoting Climate Adaptive Technology through Advocacy and Communication’.

The study report was disclosed at a seminar titled ‘Climate Adaptive Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges’ jointly arranged by the C3ER and Brac Advocacy for Social Change at Brac Centre Inn.

Dr Ainun Nishat, Professor Emirates of the Brac University, said the government polices also did not cover the issues of the market and escalating food prices as a result of low food production.

He also said the study also revealed that the existing policies do not provide strategic direction in terms of dealing with the challenges of climate change. ‘Local people have adopted techniques/options to combat the adverse effects of the climate change, but most of these are yet to be institutionalised and do not sustain for a longer period.’

Ainun Nishat said none of the policies incorporated gender dimensions or addressed the specific vulnerabilities of women.

Shykh Seraj, a renowned agriculture expert and director of Channel i, said though the farmers of Bangladesh have indigenous knowledge about weather, they cannot reap the benefits of the modern technologies for lack of capacity to adapt to those.  

He said the country’s agriculture will get a boost if the farmers are properly trained to effectively use the modern technologies.

Echoing Shykh Seraj, additional secretary of Agriculture Ministry Anwar Farroque said they are working hard to help the farmers adapt to the imported modern technologies.