Climate Change and Urban Food Security Challenges for Dhaka

Monirul MirzaAdaptation & Impacts Research

Section (AIRS), Environment CanadaBonn, May 13, 2012

The Three Questions

• What are the approaches to ensure UPA’s greater visibility in policy & planning for resilient cities?

• What are the responses for adapting urban agriculture and food systems to future climate change?

• What are the key enabling factors for promoting innovation in urban agriculture?

The Study Area for the UPA

UPA: Importance to Dhaka

• Uncertainty in food supply from rural areas

• UPA can contribute to food security, poverty alleviation and public health

• UA can positively contribute to environmental management

Photos: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute

Future Climate Change in Bangladesh

Source: World Bank, 2010

Climate Change: Risks for Agriculture

• Production losses from increased floods, droughts, fogs & heat stress

• 3.1% annual agriculture GDP loss until 2050

• Loss of employment

• Food security problem especially in urban centers

• Pressure on other key economic sectors

Photos: Practical Action

Adaptation Options & Policies

• Learning from the past

• Identifying barriers and obstacles

• Mainstreaming of Adaptation

• Outlining future options

• Economics of adaptation

• Innovations & Capacity building• Dissemination, implementation

& evaluation

Photos: Practical Action, BRRI & IRRI

Enabling Environment/Factors for UPA Innovation

• Knowledge & capacity needs assessment• Investments in innovation policy & associated

governance structure• Investments in regulatory frameworks that affect

agricultural innovation• Investments in urban/peri-urban credit, agri-

infrastructure, markets, etc.• Environmental sustainability & poverty reduction

Policy & Action Responses

• UPA with special focus in the national agriculture policy

• Policy to integrate UPA with other sectoral policies, e.g. land, water, etc.

• Administrative & regulatory policy changes to promote UPA

• Promoting UPA as an integral component of resilient city concept

• Special investment policy for innovations focusing on the UPA