M Nazirul Islam ¹ *, Sajia Rahman ² , Quazi Maruf Ahmed ³ , Sumaiya Falguni ⁴ and M Sayedur Rahman ⁵

¹Former Chief Scientific Officer, Plant Genetic Resource Centre (PGRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, Bangladesh
²Senior Scientific Officer, PGRC, BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh
³Scientific Officer, PGRC, BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh
⁴Research Fellow, Department of Fisheries Biology and Aquatic Environment, Gazipur Agricultural University, Salna, Gazipur, Bangladesh
⁵Principal Scientific Officer, Agricultural Economics Division, Seed Production Station (BSPS), BARI, Debiganj, Panchagarh, Bangladesh

*Corresponding Author: M Nazirul Islam, Former Chief Scientific Officer, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh.
Email: nazirhrc@yahoo.co.in

Received: November 07, 2025; Published: January 31, 2026

Abstract

The study was conducted in the villages of Mashok and Moumari, focusing on climate-resilient farming practices in two agroeco- logical zones of Bangladesh from February to August 2018. Various tools and techniques of Farmer Participatory Research Appraisal (PRA) were employed to collect community knowledge about social behavior and management practices. Findings reveal that cli- matic variability, including erratic rainfall and elevated temperatures, is disrupting traditional farming calendars, leading to lower agricultural income and increasing dependence on non-farm employment. Homestead gardening has played a key role in empower- ing women and diversifying food sources for households. Biodiversity assessment revealed Mashok to have higher species richness, while Moumari exhibited greater evenness. Farmers demonstrated a strong knowledge of crop rotation and genetic flow, but have limited awareness of composting and fallow systems. Crop diversity, wild relatives and traditional weather forecasting collectively sustain resilient agroecosystems, aligning with the SDGs 2, 13, and 15 by ending hunger, promoting climate action, and protecting ecosystems. Acknowledgement of gender-sensitive participation in national environmental sustainability strategies is crucial for diversified rural livelihoods and ecological resilience.

Keywords: Biodiversity; Participatory Research Appraisal (PRA); Bangladesh

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Citation

Citation: M Nazirul Islam., et al. “Participatory Rural Appraisal as a Tool for Documenting Indigenous Agricultural Practices and Environmental Stewardship in Bangladesh". Acta Scientific Agriculture 10.2 (2026): 31-45.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 M Nazirul Islam., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.