IRRI, Tufts University, and BMDA host workshop on alternate wetting and drying technology in Barind areas

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI); the Tufts University, USA; and the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) held a joint knowledge-sharing workshop on 9 May in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

This workshop was organised to understand the status, challenges and opportunities of using prepaid irrigation cards to improve water use efficiency in rice production in the Barind areas and derive policy implications to promote alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation technology in Bangladesh.

IRRI, Tufts University, and BMDA jointly organised this workshop to share the research findings and solicit feedback from stakeholders on prepaid irrigation card use and utilisation of this information to target AWD demonstrations, training, and scaling in the Barind area of Bangladesh.

Experts and practitioners from different government and non-government organisations such as the Department of Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), BMDA, Universities, non-profit organisations, community-based organisations, farmers, experts, water suppliers, IRRI, and Tufts University, congregated at this workshop to discuss the subjects of AWD, water use efficiency, water conservation, and energy efficiency in rice farming with the overall goal of making rice farming sustainable.

Dr Humnath Bhandari, IRRI country representative in Bangladesh, said, "Addressing climate change challenges in agriculture demands innovation. Bundling AWD with prepaid irrigation cards offers a transformative solution for AWD adoption among farmers. This approach has multiple benefits such as conserving water, minimising production cost, reducing methane emission , and promoting sustainable rice farming."

Begum Akhter Jahan, BMDA  chairperson and chief guest at the workshop, said, "BMDA aims to increase food supply while preserving the environment through water-saving technologies. The AWD method, known for saving 25-30% of water, fuel, and expenses, will enhance resource use efficiency in rice production in the Barind region, by leveraging a prepaid metering system. Farmers will be encouraged to adopt AWD, reducing water consumption significantly. This environmentally friendly approach will enrich the Barind area, promising a greener future."

Rice cultivation is water intensive and requires significant energy for irrigation, often using electricity or diesel fuel for the extraction of groundwater. Water use efficiency can conserve groundwater, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and benefit farmers.

However, interventions for groundwater conservation are often complicated. In the Barind areas of Bangladesh, BMDA operates tubewells through a prepaid card for irrigation for farmers, which allows the farmers to draw groundwater for irrigation and pay according to the volume of water used through this prepaid card. However, there are variations in the prepaid card usage across villages.

This research project - "Using Experimental Evidence to Scale up AWD Technology for Rice Production in Bangladesh", is being implemented by IRRI and Tuft University, USA in Bangladesh since 2021.

The project is aimed at generating evidence for policy influence for enhancing the adoption of AWD which can help farmers use water efficiently, especially for the ones who purchase water by the hour. As per the AWD technique, by observing soil moisture, farmers can irrigate their fields based on crop water needs and save water, power, and cost .

Some of the key findings from this research include:

• AWD is most effective in Bangladesh when farmers pay by the hour for pumping groundwater for irrigation.
• The usage of prepaid irrigation cards vary substantially among villages, sub-districts, and districts in the Barind area.
• The research results can be used to prioritise the implementation of AWD practices in different geographies of Bangladesh. Efforts in terms of demonstrations, distribution of AWD pipes, farmers' training, and other information sharing should be directed more towards areas showing the most potential towards the adoption of AWD practices.
• Lastly, results also show that the overall goal of water conservation can be achieved most efficiently if efforts towards the higher adoption of AWD practices by farmers are focused in regions where financial incentives make it profitable for farmers to adopt AWD practices.

This research study generates evidence to support the government's extension and training efforts around AWD by identifying areas where farmers purchase water using irrigation cards. The expected outputs include impact evidence and policy recommendations to promote AWD technology.

With Bangladesh being one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, heat waves becoming common and the groundwater table declining, sustainability of rice-based agri-food systems is needed to conserve resources as much as possible.

Climate-smart agricultural practices like AWD mitigate climate change, ensure sustainability of rice farming, and maintain food and nutrition security for farmers.