5,697 Hectares of Bangladeshi Rice Paddies Now Dry Out on Schedule, Cutting Methane Over 30%

Flooded rice fields are a major source of methane because waterlogged soil starves microbes of oxygen. In the ICRA-BD project, the Bangladeshi microfinance NGO ANTAR Society for Development mobilised farmers alongside Japanese firms RYOBI Systems and AJI-CLE and IT provider UGI, with technical validation by Dhaka University's CARS and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Between February and December 2025 the alternate wetting and drying demonstration covered nearly 6,000 farmers on 5,697 hectares in three districts. Results presented to Bangladeshi and Japanese officials on 2 December 2025 showed an average methane cut of over 30% (the consortium's own figure, measured with gas collection devices), with Boro rice yields up 32.2%. The partners aim to reach 69,300 hectares by 2030.