Nexus of Urban Resilience, Sustainable Farming, and NbS to Address Socio-Environmental and Food Insecurity Challenges in Urban Bangladesh

Rahman, Mohammad Mahbubur and Suman, Kamrul Hassan and Akter, Shahana and Tushi, Tanjum (2025) Nexus of Urban Resilience, Sustainable Farming, and NbS to Address Socio-Environmental and Food Insecurity Challenges in Urban Bangladesh. In: Handbook of Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change :. Springer, Cham, pp. 1-25. ISBN 9783030980672

Abstract

In Global Majority Countries (GMCs) like Bangladesh, urban areas are grappling with the impacts of high temperatures, carbon emissions, climate-induced health burdens, groundwater depletion, heat stress, and heat waves. Bangladesh’s urban centers are particularly vulnerable to climate change, facing more severe impacts than many other countries. Meanwhile, rural areas are experiencing alarming agricultural land loss due to climate-induced slow-onset disasters such as salinity intrusion, drought, waterlogging, flooding, and riverbank erosion. As agricultural production declines, with yields shrinking in many regions, rural–urban migration is increasing at an alarming rate, straining urban ecosystems and exacerbating food insecurity (FI). Urban farming, as a nature-based solution (NbS), could play a critical role in fostering climate-resilient urban development through both adaptation and mitigation efforts. Urban agriculture can offer a sustainable way forward by improving food security and human well-being and addressing socio-environmental challenges. This chapter will first explore the nexus of urban resilience, urban agriculture, and NbS. It will then examine how NbS in urban farming can help mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. Additionally, the chapter will discuss the potential for addressing urban socio-ecological issues, including FI. Finally, an assessment of existing urban policies and strategies will identify gaps, with policy recommendations for decision-makers aimed at enhancing sustainable urban resilience through nature-based farming solutions.