Adaptation strategies are essential to manage water demand and ensure optimal use of available water resources under climate change. Identification and prioritization of adaptation options would greatly support decision-making in drought-prone Northwest Bangladesh. This study identified climate adaptation options by literature review and stakeholder consultation, then used multi-criteria analysis to evaluate and prioritize the options. The complexity of the options was also evaluated, specifically social, institutional, and technical obstacles to their local uptake. Seventy-two adaptation options were identified, spanning six sector categories. The options were further classified as in-system dependent, i.e., options that could be implemented by local actors, or as out-system dependent, i.e., options reliant on actions by external actors. Finally, they were defined as on-farm or off-farm strategies. Transboundary cooperation to increase surface water flows was ranked as the overall top-priority option, though this option is very complex and out-system dependent. Integrated water resources management and integrated crop management were the top-ranked options in the water management and crop production management sectors, respectively. Clustering scattered households and offering training programs in on-farm water management were the most and least complex measures, respectively. Stakeholders exhibited a clear preference for higher scale out-system dependent strategies, rather than in-system dependent options focused on changing the agricultural system itself to cope with climate change. Nonetheless, it is recommended that short-term and medium-term planning focus on opportunities to implement achievable adaptation measures within the local agricultural system. Investment in complex, externally dependent strategies is important for long-term planning.

中文翻译：

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改善孟加拉国西北部农业用水管理的适应措施的优先次序

适应战略对于管理水资源需求和确保在气候变化下优化利用可用水资源至关重要。适应方案的确定和优先排序将极大地支持易受干旱的孟加拉国西北部的决策。本研究通过文献回顾和利益相关者咨询确定了气候适应选项，然后使用多标准分析来评估和优先考虑这些选项。还评估了选项的复杂性，特别是当地采用的社会、制度和技术障碍。确定了 72 个适应选项，涵盖六个部门类别。这些选项被进一步分类为系统内依赖的，即可以由本地参与者实施的选项，或系统外依赖的，即依赖于外部参与者的行动的选项。最后，它们被定义为农场内或农场外策略。增加地表水流量的跨界合作被列为总体的首要选项，尽管该选项非常复杂且依赖于系统外。水资源综合管理和作物综合管理分别是水资源管理和作物生产管理领域的首选方案。聚集分散的家庭和提供农场用水管理培训计划分别是最复杂和最不复杂的措施。利益相关者表现出明显偏好更高规模的系统外依赖策略，而不是专注于改变农业系统本身以应对气候变化的系统内依赖选项。尽管如此，建议短期和中期规划侧重于在当地农业系统内实施可实现的适应措施的机会。投资于复杂的、依赖外部的战略对于长期规划很重要。