Rice to shrimp: Land use/land cover changes and soil degradation in Southwestern Bangladesh

This paper examines the impact of shrimp farming on rice ecosystem in a village in Southwestern Bangladesh. The village Damarpota has experienced transformation of 274 ha (79%) of its prime quality rice fields into shrimp farms during the period between 1985 and 2003. Prolonged shrimp farming for 5-, 10-, and 15-year period has increased soil salinity, acidity, and depleted soil Ca, K, Mg, and organic C content of all three types of soils in the villages to a variable degree and caused soil degradation that significantly affected the rice yield. Declined yield and acreage of rice jointly reduced the total production of rice and animal fodder. Soil degradation and loss of acreage under rice have threatened the sustainability of the village rice ecosystem.