Australia has renewed its support for climate-resilient farming in Bangladesh by taking part in a Dhaka workshop that focused on building stronger, more sustainable food systems for coastal communities. Deputy High Commissioner Clinton Pobke spoke at the event and reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to help farmers face changing weather and rising salinity. The workshop highlighted projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and work done in partnership with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Speakers described research that aims to bring climate-resilient cropping systems and sustainable farming practices to salt-affected coastal regions where tides and storms make farming harder. These efforts are meant to help local farmers adapt to climate stress, raise crop yields and protect food supplies over time. By testing new methods and sharing knowledge, researchers hope to find options that work for small farms and fit local life. Workshop sessions also showed how practical steps like better water use, careful land management and farming techniques tailored to salty soils can keep fields productive. Organizers said the work links science with local needs by training farmers, working with extension services and testing approaches in real fields so people can see what works. That local focus helps build trust and makes it easier for farmers to try new crops or change planting times when weather shifts. Participants pointed out that boosting skills and tools for farmers can also create steady jobs, help households earn more and keep food on local tables. Speakers said lessons from these projects could spread to other coastal zones and help entire regions become more resilient to climate shocks. Officials framed the program as part of Australia’s wider effort to strengthen Bangladesh’s agricultural sector while also contributing to global action on the climate crisis. The partners stressed that long term success depends on steady funding, clear planning and close work with local groups so solutions last after projects end. Farmers, researchers and local leaders who joined the workshop welcomed the focus on practical results and said they looked forward to more tests, more training and wider sharing of good ideas. Many spoke of hope that small but steady improvements in farming will keep families safer when floods or storms hit and will help children eat better every season. By combining research, training and local knowledge, the project partners aim to make coastal farming stronger, preserve local jobs and support steady food supplies for communities that rely on the sea and the land. The meeting underlined that working together across borders can speed useful change and that simple, tested practices can help farmers grow more with less risk. The workshop closed with a plan to monitor results and scale up successful approaches nationwide.
