Haor communities adapt as shrinking water and fish threaten livelihoods in Kishoreganj

Farmers and fishers in Kishoreganj’s haor region are adapting to climate change as declining water levels, falling fish stocks, erratic flooding and pressure on crops increasingly threaten livelihoods in Ashtagram, Mithamoin and Itna. Interviews with local farmers, fishers and an upazila agriculture official show that residents are changing cropping patterns and farming methods, while major gaps remain in fisheries management, health, sanitation, water access and coordinated climate adaptation.

From one crop to two

One of the clearest adaptations is a shift in cropping patterns. Where farmers once cultivated only one crop, mainly Boro rice, delayed flooding now allows some fields to produce transplanted Aman followed by Boro.

A 51-year-old farmer in Madhya Ashtagram said, "Water is now less than before, so we cultivate twice." The upazila agriculture official described the shift to two crops as an "asset" and said the agriculture department is encouraging it through training and closer contact with farmers.

Farmers are also turning to mustard as an alternative during the dry Chaitra-Baishakh period. The official said mustard can be harvested in about 80 days and is being promoted during otherwise unused periods before Boro cultivation, while seed support is being provided to reduce dependence on imported edible oil.

Maize had earlier been promoted for the same purpose, but the ministry later discouraged it because of fertilizer dependence and environmental impacts associated with rice cultivation. The change has left some uncertainty at the local level.

Resistant varieties, but severe yield losses

The agriculture department is also promoting rice varieties considered more resistant to blast disease, locally described as "chita" or "current poka." According to the agriculture official, varieties 28 and 29 are being replaced with 88, 89, 92, 96 and 100, while 101, 102 and 108 are being tested.

Yet adaptation has not prevented major losses. A 47-year-old marginal farmer and seasonal fisher from Mithamoin said that from 26 kathas of land, where he had expected 250-260 maunds of rice, he harvested only 40 maunds last year. "Inside, it was empty grain, only empty grain," he said.

The agriculture department is also promoting pheromone traps and organic fertilizer to reduce dependence on pesticides. The official said farmers are gradually recognizing the benefits because the method reduces costs and pesticide use, although most still prefer chemical pesticides because they expect quicker results.

Fisheries and water management lag behind

Adaptation is weakest in fisheries. A 38-year-old marginal fisher from Itna said the haor reached a maximum depth of about five hands of water this year, compared with the 10-12 hands he considers necessary. His income fell to roughly half its previous level.

Fishers also blame destructive fishing practices. Banned China nets, ring nets and current nets catch juvenile and breeding fish indiscriminately. The Mithamoin fisher said, "The biggest damage is being done by China nets." The Itna fisher said authorities recently burned about 170 China nets, but covert use continues.

Battery-powered electric shocks, locally called "current heat," are also reportedly used to kill fish in large numbers. Such methods kill fish and other aquatic organisms regardless of size and can damage long-term reproduction. Allegations of using gas tablets or poison to catch fish also raise concerns about wider damage to aquatic ecosystems.

The agriculture official acknowledged that pesticides used on cropland eventually enter water bodies and can harm fish eggs and juveniles. "What it does to people, it also does to fish," the Mithamoin fisher said.

Interviewees reported little optimism about stronger enforcement during the May-June breeding season, restrictions on catching undersized fish, expanded sanctuaries or alternative income opportunities. "Our people here have no opportunity to do anything else," the Itna fisher said.

Infrastructure has advanced, management has not

A 85-year-old farmer from Bhatshala said embankments and roads have increased resilience to flooding. "Earlier, when the wind blew, waves on the embankment rose 10 feet; now there are not even one-hand-high waves," he said.

But infrastructure has also created new problems where poorly planned interventions obstruct natural drainage. The agriculture official said private river excavation in Kalma, Adampur and Abdullahpur has caused sedimentation and blocked drainage, creating waterlogging during the Boro season.

The official said rerouting the Barak River through areas such as Gazihati has also harmed Kastul Union and southern Ashtagram economically, while dredged sediment has caused waterlogging in at least seven villages in Kastul. "This large-scale problem is man-made," he said, adding that permanent solutions would require dredging machinery unavailable locally.

Groundwater is also becoming less reliable. The official said groundwater levels fall to 700-1,200 feet during the dry season, while the government is discouraging further dependence on underground sources and promoting surface water from rivers and haors.

Solar-powered irrigation projects have been introduced, but two projects currently cover only about 500 metres. Deep tube wells installed by the government also do not benefit everyone equally because households must pay specified fees.

Health, culture and the limits of resilience

Health and sanitation remain among the largest gaps. Interviewees repeatedly reported increased skin disease and itching after contact with polluted monsoon water, while children commonly suffer from diarrhoea and dysentery. Pneumonia and chronic respiratory disease are common among older people in winter, while typhoid and jaundice are reported periodically.

Limited doctors at local hospitals force patients with serious illnesses to travel to Bhairab or Kishoreganj town, where treatment can cost several weeks of a fisher family's income. A farmer from Madhya Ashtagram said supporting a family of eight on 400 taka a day is difficult and that medical expenses require loans and debt.

Sanitation is similarly weak. Most households use pit latrines, but some resort to open defecation because of financial constraints, particularly in the dry season. Handwashing and soap use are limited, there is reportedly no government sanitation project in the area, and menstrual hygiene waste is often discarded with household waste.

Cooking still depends heavily on cow-dung cakes and wood, while electricity is unreliable, averaging about eight hours a day and becoming scarcer during the dry season. Residents see expanded solar power as necessary.

Yet resilience is not only institutional. Traditional knowledge remains central: people measure water in "hands," land in "kanis" and rice in "maunds," while seasonal understanding follows the Bengali agricultural calendar. An old saying, "In the heat of Bhadra, even dogs fall into the water," reflects generations of weather knowledge.

Fish remains part of haor identity. The elderly farmer Rokon Uddin said, "Without fish, what is a haor?" He recalled a time when fish were so abundant that the smell filled the area and cutting fish caused sores on people's hands.

Humayun Kabir said fish from Itna, Mithamoin and Ashtagram are "very delicious." The agriculture official also noted that sweet pumpkins from Itna are produced across large fields and sent as far as Mymensingh, while Ashtagram is known for its locally distinctive cheese.

But changing agriculture is also eroding cultural practices. Kabir recalled fragrant indigenous rice varieties such as "Lahai, Boro and Kufa," saying their aroma once travelled from one house to another. He said fertilizer use has also risen sharply, from about 10 kilograms per acre to 250-300 kilograms.

Traditional practices such as "gang daka," "ziarat" fish sanctuaries and community-elected irrigation scheme managers still survive, although they are weakening. Rokon Uddin said, "We elect the manager ourselves."

At the same time, fatalism shapes responses to climate risks. Asked about preparation for floods or droughts, Rokon Uddin said, "We do nothing. We leave it to the Creator." That outlook can provide psychological endurance, but it can also discourage active risk preparation.

The experience of Kishoreganj’s haor communities therefore shows both adaptation and vulnerability. Farmers are changing crops and varieties, while communities continue to rely on traditional knowledge and social ties; but fisheries, sanitation, healthcare, water management and institutional coordination remain far behind the scale of the risks they face.