As climate change intensifies tropical storms, the question of how farmers can better prepare for, withstand and recover from such events has become central to climate adaptation policy.
Climate news
05
Oct
2026
24
Nov
2025
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As climate change intensifies tropical storms, the question of how farmers can better prepare for, withstand and recover from such events has become central to climate adaptation policy.
When Cyclone Remal struck coastal Bangladesh in May 2024, not all households were equally affected. Those who had spent years farming agroecologically - building diverse crops, sharing knowledge through farmer field schools and strengthening their community networks - experienced roughly half the damage of their neighbours. They also recovered faster, relied on savings rather than debt, and were more likely to emerge from the crisis better prepared than before.
The BRACE study (Building Resilience through Agroecology for Coastal Emergencies) conducted in cooperation with BOKU University compared 297 programme participants against 80 matched nonparticipants across three coastal villages in the Latachapli Union of Kalapara Sub-District, all struck by Cyclone Remal in May 2024. Both groups lived on similarly small plots of land, in the same villages, facing the same storm. Programme participants tended to come from more educationally disadvantaged backgrounds - making the resilience differences that follow all the more striking.
For donors and practitioners working on climate resilience, the central finding is stark: the single strongest predictor of whether a household survived and recovered well was not where they lived, or how much land they owned, but whether they had participated in a sustained agroecological programme. Location explained almost nothing. Programme participation explained almost everything.
Place agroecological programmes at the centre of resilience programming: Sustained, iterative training is the strongest upstream driver of both practice adoption and preparedness. Programmes should be continuous, not delivered as one-off sessions.
Explicitly connect agroecology to disaster preparedness (as well as the wider humanitarian programme cycle): Help farmers understand how diversification, soil management and on-farm integration are not just farming practices but directly reduce cyclone losses and improve recovery speed. This could reduce future reliance on humanitarian aid.
Build anticipatory capacity as part of farming, not separately: Embed preparedness planning into agricultural decision making so it becomes a normal part of how households manage their livelihoods.
Strengthen social and institutional linkages: Recovery outcomes are consistently stronger for households embedded in supportive networks. Farmer groups, knowledge platforms, and NGO connections are not peripheral – they are core to resilience.
Reduce reliance on erosive coping strategies: Promote savings mechanisms, income diversification and asset-protection assistance so households do not have to sell their way through a crisis.
Support adaptive recovery, not just restoration: Allow flexibility in recovery support so households can adjust farming systems and strengthen preparedness for future shocks, rather than simply rebuilding what was lost.
Invest in small but mighty approaches: Relatively modest funding (the Proyash programme cost £70,000 annually over five years, or around £115 per participant household) can reach thousands of farmers and deliver substantial impact, representing strong value for money.
Adopt a systems-based approach to climate resilience: Isolated investments in infrastructure, farming or relief alone are less effective than integrated approaches that connect agroecology, preparedness and post-disaster support across the full disaster cycle.
Balance physical protection with sustained capacity building: Embankments and shelters remain essential, but this study shows household capacities matter more than location in determining outcomes. Long-term investment in farmer training offers strong value for money.
Embed agroecology within national climate adaptation strategies: The evidence supports integrating agroecology into the National Adaptation Plan, Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 and DRR frameworks as a proven pathway to farm resilience.
Strengthen post-disaster support quality and coordination: Timely, well-coordinated support from NGOs, extension services and local government is a strong predictor of recovery. Coordination should be treated as a policy priority, not an afterthought.
Align financial tools with resilience objectives: Promote savings mechanisms and recovery-sensitive financial products. Post-disaster assistance should protect productive assets, not push
households into debt.
Recognise recovery as an opportunity to build back better: Support households to improve practices and diversify livelihoods during recovery - those who adapt tend to become more resilient to future cyclones.
