Perception of Local People About the Causes of Salinity and its Impacts on Crop Production in the Context of the Southern Region of Bangladesh

While Bangladesh’s northern region frequently experiences flash floods, the country’s southern coastal regions are susceptible to salinity intrusion. Approximately two-thirds of the region’s arable land, as well as surface water and shallow aquifers, are affected by varying salinity levels. Polders were constructed to prevent saline intrusion; however, they have not performed as well as expected in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the local population perceived the sources of salinity and its impact on crop productivity. The research objectives were addressed through a mixed-methods investigation that included both qualitative and quantitative surveys of 200 homes in three selected polders. It was discovered that the type of rice produced was unrelated to household characteristics or saline level. However, it was discovered that the production of saline-tolerant rice cultivars was linked to both educational attainment and various forms of employment. Regional disparities in the adoption of saline-tolerant cultivars were also discovered by the study; for example, people in Dacope and Rupsha were found to be growing more saline-tolerant cultivars than people in Batiaghata. Given that coastal regions have distinct geomorphological features, more research on regional variations on the relationship between salinity and crop yield should yield more information.