Adolescent girls aged between 12 and 16 living in aquaculture zones along the southwestern coast of Bangladesh are suffering from malnutrition, according to a scientific study published in February 2023.
The report, titled "Adolescent Girls in Aquaculture Ecozones at Risk of Nutrient Deficiencies", was published in Scientific Reports (PubMed Central), and reveals a concerning picture.
The study found that 72 percent of the girls surveyed were deficient in vitamin D. Meanwhile, 65 percent were suffering from anaemia due to iron deficiency, and 54 percent had iodine deficiency, which is linked to thyroid problems and hindered cognitive development.
Despite most families in coastal areas being involved in fish farming, the report says that many of them—particularly women—suffer from malnutrition. Some 48 percent of households surveyed said they were unable to consume the fish they farm themselves.
Although fish is included in the families’ daily diet, it tends to be monotonous—mainly hilsa, ruhi, and tilapia—which fails to ensure nutritional diversity.
Crop damage
Paddy, pulses, and vegetable production have significantly declined in coastal areas of Bangladesh due to increasing salinity, drought, and tidal surges. As a result, despite the availability of fish, daily meals often lack greens, lentils, milk, or eggs, making the diet extremely limited, according to researchers.
A 2022 report by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) said that over the past decade, land used for pulses and vegetables in six coastal districts has decreased by 30 percent. Production of staple vegetables such as coriander, red amaranth, spinach, and green chili has been severely affected.
According to a 2023 study by the Soil Research Development Institute (SRDI), paddy production in the coastal areas of Khulna and Satkhira could drop by 15.6 percent by 2050. Soil salinity, which stood at 4.5 deciSiemens per metre in 2000, has nearly doubled to 8.9 deciSiemens per metre in 2023. Researchers attribute this to the impacts of climate change.
Abdullah Nesaun, a farmer from Dacope in Khulna, said he used to harvest paddy twice a year and grow pulses and vegetables during winter. But due to rising salinity, he has now switched to fish farming.
“Back then, we used to grow crops and buy vegetables from the market. Now, I have fish in my pond, but nothing on my plate except rice and fish,” he said regretfully.
Dr. Niaz Md Farhat Rahman, a rice scientist and climate change researcher, said that frequent cyclones and rising sea levels are causing increasing salinity in coastal lands, which is damaging arable fields and severely disrupting crop production. “This crisis is intensifying,” he warned.
Sixty percent of women and children in fish-farming households in Bangladesh’s coastal regions suffer from iron and iodine deficiencies, according to a 2022 joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
Nutritionist Samina Zaman Kajree noted that women in Bangladesh often suffer from deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals—particularly vitamins A, D, and C. “Fish alone cannot ensure complete nutrition,” she said. “Carbohydrate-based foods, such as lentils, greens, vegetables, meat, and dairy, are also necessary.”
Fodder crisis
Due to soil salinity, water scarcity, and rising temperatures in coastal areas, there has been an increase in fodder shortages, diseases, and mortality among dairy cattle—according to multiple studies. This has led to nutritional gaps in milk-based food consumption in these regions.
A 2024 study published by the US-based National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)/PubMed shows that between February and December, the coastal “Temperature-Humidity Index (THI)” ranges between 74 and 90—levels considered dangerous for livestock. The heat stress reduces cattle appetite and lowers milk yield by up to 25 percent.
Shafayet, a farmer from Paikgacha in Khulna, said: “Our cow used to give one to two kilos of milk. Now it barely gives 250 grams. How can it produce milk? There’s no green grass left. During the monsoon, the fields used to be full of knee-high grass. That grass doesn’t grow anymore. You’d even see leeches in the grass back then. Now, not even leeches survive.”
Responding to why local-breed cows are no longer producing milk, Md. Sabuj from Gutudia in Dumuria upazila said: “Our cows don’t produce as much milk anymore. There’s no green fodder, so we have to feed them more concentrated feed. A cow may give a maximum of 750 ml of milk—which is just enough for the calf. That’s why we no longer milk the cows.”
A 2023 study published in the SAARC Journal of Agriculture found that the production of suitable fodder grass for livestock in Bangladesh’s southwestern coastal region has dropped by 30–40 percent. Field-level farmers reported that water buffaloes, which used to yield 6–7 litres of milk per day, now produce only 2–3 litres.
The study further stated that rising average temperatures in the country have disrupted natural feeding patterns for livestock, leading to a 25–30 percent decline in milk and meat production.
Dr Al-Noor Md Iftekhar Rahman, Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Animal Science, Nutrition, Genetics and Breeding at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said pastureland in coastal areas has diminished. “Due to increased salinity, grass quality has deteriorated, and the soil no longer supports nutritious forage growth. This disrupts the animals’ diet and puts the population’s primary source of protein at risk.”
“Our livestock farmers still lack the scientific training needed to adopt improved feed production practices,” he added. “Unless urgent steps are taken to ensure the health and nutrition of dairy-producing animals, the crisis may deepen further.”
The study also revealed that although 74 percent of adolescent girls consume rice and fish daily, they rarely have access to vegetables, fruit, or dairy. Essential nutrients found in fish, such as vitamin D and iodine, cannot meet nutritional requirements if the same type of fish is consumed repeatedly.
Discrimination in women's access to food
The study pointed out that within families, priority is often given to men. Even when nutrient-rich food such as eggs or fruit is available, it is typically reserved for the father or brothers, while girls receive leftovers.
Fourteen-year-old Shimu, the daughter of a shrimp-farming family in Bagerhat, suffers from swollen cheeks, fatigue, and health issues during menstruation. She struggles to concentrate in school. “We farm fish, but we can’t eat them ourselves,” she said. “My mother says we must sell the fish to buy rice.”
Nutritionist Samina Zaman Kajree commented, “Women in our country are the most neglected within the household. Even though they take care of everyone else, they themselves do not receive adequate nutrition. Girls also face food discrimination compared to boys, which is why adolescent girls often suffer from long-term malnutrition.”
MSK/
