Ripening bitter gourd and okra loom over a mass of water hyacinth. Birds fly low over the surface of the water. Farmers in the low-lying Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, stand knee deep in water, tending to their plants. These farmers could not escape the rising waters in the fierce monsoons – so they abandoned the traditional rice crop and turned to an eco-friendly practice that had been used by their ancestors in the southern flood plains, a traditional form of hydroponics, called floating vegetable gardens.
Revival of the Floating gardens
Bangladesh, by the fact it was formed by the alluvial plains of the Ganges-Brahmaputra river systems, is highly prone to floods and waterlogging. Fierce monsoons, Himalayan snow melt and severe cyclones worsen the problem for the country. Two-thirds of Bangladesh is wetland, criss-crossed by highly sedimented rivers that frequently change their course. Vast swathes....
