The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of the Government of Bangladesh has teamed up with the Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) in an effort to co-create and promote climate-smart solutions that can boost farming, crop production, and food security in the country.
On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, the two have officially signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to facilitate cooperation toward enhancing the delivery of agricultural climate services in Bangladesh by supporting the Bangladesh Agro-Meteorological Information System (BAMIS) through i) development of an enhanced BAMIS mobile application (e.g. integration of new data, analytics, and visualization features); ii) expansion of advisory modes or channels (e.g. voice messaging, push notifications, etc.); and iii) capacity-building of farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector to cope with and adapt to climate hazards of various timescales. Such developments are expected to positively impact the sector through better management of climate opportunities and risks.
Director-General Mr. Md. Benojir Alam signed the MoU on behalf of DAE, while Mr. Raihanul Haque Khan, Country Lead – Bangladesh signed for RIMES. Present also to witness the event were Dr. Md. Abdul Muyeed (Sectoral Expert for Agriculture, RIMES and former Director-General, DAE); Dr. Md. Shah Kamal Khan (Project Director, Agro-Meteorological Information Systems Development Project [AMISDP], DAE, and Sectoral Focal Point for Agriculture, Climate Adaptation and Resilience [CARE] for South Asia project – Component 1, RIMES); Dr. Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal (Strategic Advisor, RIMES); Dr. Muhammad Emdadul Haque (Director of the Planning, Project Implementation, and ICT Wing, DAE); and other representatives from key sectoral and partner organizations, such as the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI); Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD); Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI); Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB); and the World Bank.