ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Factors Influencing Farmers’ Awareness and Risk
Perception of Environmental Degradation
in Bangladesh
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1
School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China
2
Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
3
College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling-712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China
4
Department of Applied Economics and Marketing, University of Reading, Reading, UK
5
School of Political Science and Public Administration, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, P.R. China
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Department of Agribusiness, Atish Dipankar University of Science and technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Submission date: 2021-04-07
Final revision date: 2021-08-16
Acceptance date: 2021-08-17
Online publication date: 2022-01-04
Publication date: 2022-02-16
Corresponding author
Naiping Zhu
School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, 212013, Zhenjiang, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2022;31(2):1293-1304
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ABSTRACT
Bangladesh is an agrarian-based developing economy that has recently achieved accelerated
economic growth via its industrial sector. Such levels of industrial development have increased energy
demands, with negative impacts not only on human health but also on agricultural land and biodiversity.
These forms of environmental degradation pose risks to rice production, the main agricultural crop,
due to associated declines in soil, water, and air quality. This study intends to analyze rice farmers’
level of awareness and perception of the impacts of environmental degradation, and factors influencing
the awareness. Primary data were collected from 300 rice producers in six districts in Bangladesh
during August-September 2019 by a structured questionnaire, where agricultural arable lands have been
degraded the most. A multinomial logit model has been used to explore the relationship among key
factors. Farmer awareness levels varied according to age, farming experience, farm household income,
adoption of inclusive agribusiness, access to extension workers, and distance from the nearest industrial
zone. There was spatial heterogeneity among rice grower perceptions of the impacts of environmental
degradation. Government guidance and some socio-economic factors could reshape and improve
the farmer awareness levels on natural degradation, to facilitate the maintenance of farm operations
and food security nationwide.