Banishanta Bangladesh local weathercasters combat climate change

In Banishanta village, Khulna district, farmers have formed the Banishanta Weather Club to combat the impacts of cyclones, floods, and high salinity. Supported by the NGO Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS) and the Delta Research Initiative (DRI), the community uses digital tools, smartphone apps, and a Facebook messenger group called 'Banishanta Climate School' to access weather forecasts and agro-advisories. This locally led adaptation approach allows farmers to make informed decisions on sowing and irrigation, reducing the economic costs of climatic disasters and improving livelihoods for smallholder farmers and the Banojibi community.

• Coastal communities in Banishanta village face severe agricultural and livelihood disruptions due to high salinity and extreme weather events, including cyclones, storm surges, and floods, which have rendered traditional weather prediction methods ineffective.
• The Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS), under the Delta Research Initiative (DRI) project funded by the GNDR, trained 7,000 farmers in Dacope Upazila to use smartphone apps and social media for accessing climate information.
• The Banishanta Weather Club and the 'Banishanta Climate School' Facebook messenger group enable farmers to receive timely weather predictions and agro-advisories, allowing them to optimize seed sowing and irrigation to prevent crop failure.
• The initiative is characterized as a model of locally led adaptation because it shifts control of weather monitoring to the community, thereby increasing the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers and the Banojibi community.

APA

Global Resilience Partnership (2023). Banishanta Bangladesh local weathercasters combat climate change. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/banishanta-bangladesh-local-weathercasters-combat-climate-change/

Chicago

Global Resilience Partnership. Banishanta Bangladesh local weathercasters combat climate change. 2023. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/banishanta-bangladesh-local-weathercasters-combat-climate-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Resilience Partnership |title=Banishanta Bangladesh local weathercasters combat climate change |date=14 February 2023 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/banishanta-bangladesh-local-weathercasters-combat-climate-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalresiliencepartnership2023banishanta, author = {{Global Resilience Partnership}}, title = {{Banishanta Bangladesh local weathercasters combat climate change}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/banishanta-bangladesh-local-weathercasters-combat-climate-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }