The use of floating agriculture (locally known as Baira cultivation)
This initiative addresses prolonged seasonal flooding, waterlogging, and loss of agricultural land, which have intensified due to climate change. Many farmers are unable to cultivate crops during the monsoon, leading to food insecurity and income loss. Local farmers themselves design, build, and manage floating beds using traditional materials such as water hyacinth, straw, and bamboo. Knowledge is passed down through generations and shared within communities. NGOs and local authorities play a facilitating role, but decision-making largely remains with farmers, reflecting strong locally-led adaptation (LLA) principles.
Outcomes and Impacts
Enables year-round crop production despite flooding
Improves household food security and income
Reduces climate-induced migration
Empowers women, who are often actively involved in seedling preparation and maintenance
Traditional and Indigenous Practices Supporting Adaptation
In addition to floating agriculture, other traditional practices include:
Raised homesteads and plinths to reduce flood damage
Indigenous rice varieties that tolerate submergence and salinity
Community-based early warning systems using local observation of river levels and weather patterns
These practices remain effective in addressing climate risks, although some are declining due to modernization and lack of policy recognition.
Yes, floating model is useful. But, I have learnt that some of them using water hyacinth as base for homestead gardening. Here, we need to be careful and make people aware that it's highly invasive with negative impacts for aquaculture, aquatic animals, water travel routes and drying sweet water bodies in longer term so that they use it but control expansion as well.