1. ICT for Climate Action in an agrarian community
Oxfam in Bangladesh
Gobeshona Seminar, May 2017
26 May 2017

3. Climate Vulnerabilities of Bangladesh
Frequency and intensity of extreme weather event increased
Changes in seasons
Erratic rainfall
Climate Change reduces rice production in Bangladesh by an average 3.9 % each year

4. Agriculture and Agrarian Community in Bangladesh
30 agro-ecological zones
Paddy is the main crop
61.2% arable land under cultivation
56% of agricultural land is irrigated
20% surface water supply
80% from groundwater
80% people directly or indirectly dependents on agriculture
65% of total population is engaged in agriculture activities
71.5% population of women is engaged in agriculture and related activities
Women accounted for 45.6% of total employment in agriculture

5. Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture
Cyclone intensity and frequency have been increased
Salinity intuition in the cropland
Changes in seasonal calendar
Rainfall erratic
Village Atulia of Shyamnagar District
New crops introduced
Shift from agronomy to fisheries
Climate resilient crop varieties

6. Rights and Entitlements
Resilience through Economic Empowerment, Climate Adaptation, Leadership and Learning (REE-CALL)
Economic
Empowerment
DRR, CCA
Women Leadership
Rights and Entitlements

7. Participatory Research and Ownership with Technology, Information and Change (PROTIC)
SMS/ OBD/ Call Center
APPs

8. Knowledge of Farmers on adaptive agriculture
Community in a participatory rapid assessment found that 25% of them has lack of knowledge on current crops in field.
Only 16% of the young people know the Khanar Bachon.
Many crops are introduced to cope with climate change; where community knowledge was Zero,
Paddy cultivation is not only a farming, it has social and cultural values; shifting from paddy is not welcomed by community.

9. Access to Agriculture Information
0.5 km
Cattle to grazing
Grass for cattle
10 min walk
Crop field
Fual wood
2 km
Child to school
1.5 km
Cattle bring back
Meetings
1km
Bathing
15 min walk
Roaming
Stay home

10. Knowledge Hub PROTIC RESEARCERS ICT Extension workers
Addition for PROTIC
Existing Contents
Existing APPs
New Expert Content
New APPs
New Content from Community
Universities and other Experts
Baseline
Women farmers
Extension workers
Learning
PROTIC RESEARCERS

11. Knowledge Hub SMS, Outbound Dial (OBD),
Apps and Call Centre services on agriculture, agro meteorology, and early warning system

12. Agricultural Information need
Call center data of 1 year says:
Pesticide 45%
Fertilizer 22%

13. Information Ecology
Develop and implement an interactive mobile phone information system and responsive community ‘hub’ in Bangladesh, for isolated communities in sand islands (char) and coastal communities as a model for further uptake; engage village communities, local NGOs, universities in Bangladesh, Oxfam and Monash University in Participatory Action Research (PAR).

14. Digital content development on adaptive agriculture
Need assessment
Draft text
Text review
SMS draft
Field test
PCVA
Expert feedback
Technically Okay
Community understand
There is no regulatory body for digital content
Lack of documents on adaptation practices

15. Community Facebook Group
Sharing their problems in the Facebook pages and groups
Share real life crisis
No status without picture
Few comments
Help identify the issues on which digital content needs to developed

16. App(s) Too many Apps App for every solution
Only 35% of apps in mobile are being used
Off-line Apps are more popular
Government has project for 500 apps

17. ? Agro-meteorology Advisory service Too many varieties Homestead crop
Adaptation practices area new
It worked for potato blight but not for the rice blast ?

18. Challenges in Developing Digital Content
Lack of information
Risk of modification
Language barrier
Regulatory
Expectation to technology

19. Resilience Intervention: REE-CALL and PROTIC
Access to Market Information
Livelihood Diversification
Technology
Economic
Empowerment
DRR & CCA
Women Leadership
Rights and Entitlements
Access to Information
Community stereotype
Network
Reduce Care Work
Early warning
Climate change prediction
Preparedness
Recovery
Know the policy
Information on social safety net
Legal aid

20. Agro-ecological zones and digital content
Local Crop Calendar
Local varieties
Centerline crossed middle of the country
Too many diversity; 21 Spp of crop in an union

21. Resilience
Baseline: 18
2015: 30
2016: 37

22. Recommendations Meaning of the digital content to the end user;
Ecosystem based Adaptation and
Community based Knowledge Hub management are the key essentials for making the mobile phone - relevant,
trusted,
reliable,
comprehensive and
accurate for interactive and
information on time.

23. Thank you