Total shrimp production in Bangladesh increased from 14 773 tonnes in 1986 to 128 313 ton in 2014. In parallel with contribution of the shrimp sector to the local and national economy of the country, it has caused some negative impacts on local ecosystems. This includes deterioration of soil and water quality, depletion of mangrove forest, decrease in population of local species of fish among others. There have also been some socio-economic consequences on the livelihood patterns of people livin g in coastal areas. At this stage, a paradigm shift is needed away from current shrimp farming practices to a more holistic and integrated approach that accounts for environmental integrity and social cohesion. In this paper, the ongoing measures to improve and streamline environmental performance of shrimp farming in Bangladesh are analyzed and a number of measures are proposed.

Shrimp is Bangladesh’s main agricultural export and makes a substantial contribution to the economy of southern Bangladesh, but the sector has a checkered history. Bangladesh’s shrimp production and exports have been in steady decline, since peaking in the early 2010’s. Most shrimp exports from Bangladesh are used by the food service and niche ethnic markets in Europe. The complex nature of shrimp supply chains in Bangladesh, comprised of hundreds of thousands of small polyculture farms and tens of thousands of small traders, make it difficult to implement tracea bility and certification initiatives – now a prerequisite for entry into most supermarket supply chains. This report provides an overview of the sector and the challenges it faces, drawing on secondary and survey data, reviews of government reports and academic literature. We also report the findings of an expert consultation conducted to identify key constraints and potential solutions. The consensus among industry stakeholders who were part of the expert consultations is that issues related to the supply and quality of shrimp seed and pond management practices represent some of the most pressing, yet relatively simple-to-solve challenges currently faced by the sector. This would serve as the foundation for establishing traceability and certification processes. Previous interventions aimed at upgrading production practices (such as promoting stocking of disease-free shrimp seed) and facilitating disintermediation and transparency in the supply chain (such as by establishing producer groups, shrimp collection centers, and contracts with processors), have met with limited success. We outline potential interventions and partners that might offer scalable solutions enabling small shrimp farmers to access global markets.

This book focuses on the transformation of Bangladesh in respect to its people, geography, economy and environment. The authors discuss current problems such as vulnerability caused by environmental degradation in Bangladesh but also opportunities of this rapidly changing country. The book explains how the country is rapidly transforming from a rural subsistence agrarian based economic system to a new economic partner contributing to global processes. Bangladesh is presented as an example for the changes in the Global South, where a mismatch is often observed in linking resources and activities with environmental sustainability, possibly due to insufficient base-line knowledge. As faster growth is marginalizing resources to increase the GDP, the sustainability of resource exploitation is being questioned. The authors describe the vulnerable situation caused by possible sea-level rise, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, climate extremities, urbanization, and population displacement. This volume offers comprehensive knowledge about the geography and environment of Bangladesh and aims to help readers further investigate the issues and work on solutions. The book appeals to academics, professionals and students at all levels interested in Bangladesh as well as environmental problems and geographical issues in a rapidly transforming country.

This book provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of the diverse aspects of climate change in South Asia. The region, home to almost 4% of the world’s population, is under serious threat from climatic disasters. The volume underscores the urgency of addressing cataclysmic events related to climate change and their ramifications on the economy, agriculture and livelihoods of the region. The book discusses the reasons causing climate change as well as highlights normative and ethical considerations involved in the battle against climate change. With case studies from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it explores issues such as extreme climatic events; energy use, fossil fuels, non-renewable resources and carbon dioxide emission in South Asia; internal migration and climate refugees; the ethical dilemma of sustainable development; technological advancements for extreme weather forecast; and responses to climate change in South Asia. Highlighting the need for striking a balance between developmental imperatives and environmental sustainability, the chapters also show the North-South divide in the research agenda and policies on climate change and the global politics that underlie climate policies. The volume juxtaposes a scientific analysis of factors responsible for climate change with an analysis of the human cost of climate change from the perspective of social sciences. It discusses the challenges faced by developing countries while also offering recommendations and solutions. This book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of climate studies, geography, public policy and governance, sustainable development, development studies, environmental studies, political studies, international relations, political economy, economics and sociology. It will also be useful to practitioners, thinktanks, policymakers and civil society organisations working on environmental management.

This report indicates that climate change will significantly affect the availability and trade of fish products, especially for those countries most dependent on the sector, and calls for effective adaptation and mitigation actions encompassing food production.

Coastal areas are commonly defined as the interface or transition areas between land and sea, including large inland lakes. Overall, about 50–70 % of the global population live within 100 km of the coastline covering only about 4 % of earth’s land, thereby drawing heavily on coastal and marine habitats for food, building sites, transportation, recreational areas, and waste disposal. The people of these zones depend mainly on low productive agriculture due to several constraints such as prolonged water logging and drainage congestion in predominantly low-lying areas with heavy soils during the wet season, preponderance of saline and acid sulphate soils, scarcity of good quality irrigation water, particularly in the dry season, seawater intrusion into adjoining lands, and water pollution due to eutrophication, and others affecting the aquatic habitats, etc. Carbon sequestration in coastal areas, such as, marshes, lagoons, etc. has significant influence on soil quality, and the carbon pool in soils as well as their impacts on the environment. Over and above these, the coastal areas are prone to disasters due to climate change leading to colossal loss of lives and properties in many areas. Forestry and mangrove dynamics, in particular, because of their continuing diminishing nature, are also subjects of interest affecting the ecology of coastal zones requiring appropriate attention. The international symposium held in this context on ‘ Transforming Coastal Zones for Sustainable Food and Income Security ’ in virtual mode in March, 2021 offered scope to present and discuss various thematic areas by eminent scientists from all over the world. The proceedings of selected papers presented reflect cross-sectoral views of the areas highlighting, wherever necessary, a fusion of technologies, with the ultimate target to suggest livelihood security and sustainable development for the sensitive coastal zones. The book intends to share the knowledge with researchers, academicians, and various other stakeholders to address the complex problems of coastal regions, production constraints, social, economic, technical and environmental issues to draw out strategies for resilient agricultural technologies and improving livelihood security in coastal agro-ecosystems.

In recent years, shrimp aquaculture, which is undertaken largely in the tropical countries, has experienced spectacular growth in response to expanding global demand and higher economic return. Despite a number positive aspects (e.g., foreign exchange, employment and food) of shrimp farming, the industry has serious negative environmental impacts. Because of the degradation of natural resources, commercial shrimp farming imposes socio-economic costs on rural resource-reliant communities as their traditional means of food production and livelihoods are displaced. Bangladesh is suffering because of unplanned expansion of this aquaculture and increasingly called as "a desert in the delta". The central concern of this book is to apply participatory research techniques to identify and understand the impacts of commercial shrimp farming to the livelihood patterns of coastal villagers in southwest Bangladesh. The findings of this is book should be useful for researchers, government and NGOs to understand vulnerabilities of rural communities in shrimp farming areas and to design alternative livelihood strategies for affected groups.