The Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) analysis evaluated agricultural sustainability and policy coherence across India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to identify priority areas for climate-resilient agricultural transformation with a specific focus on coastal systems. This analytical exercise integrated expert judgments informed by field realities of coastal agriculture, contextualising national policy evaluation and generating decision-oriented insights on resilience priorities. The assessment integrated 21 sustainability indicators grouped under environmental, economic, and institutional dimensions, examining the strength, scope and implementation depth of national agricultural frameworks. Composite coverage scores reflected how effectively existing policies addressed adaptive capacity, livelihood security, and ecosystem stability in regions exposed to saline intrusion, cyclonic hazards, and coastal resource degradation.
India demonstrated the most comprehensive institutional coverage, achieving a portfolio strength of 71.6 per cent. Flagship programmes such as the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa, National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana contributed to strong performance in climate information systems, irrigation efficiency, and adaptive technology dissemination. These functions remain vital in coastal districts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat, where saline water intrusion, erratic monsoon patterns, and declining groundwater tables continue to affect productivity. Persistent weaknesses in risk management, credit access, and soil health underscored the need for integrated mechanisms that link productivity enhancement with resilience financing and coastal infrastructure strengthening.
Bangladesh, with a portfolio coverage achievement of 66.8%, exhibited an inclusive policy structure with substantial emphasis on community participation, gender inclusion, and food security, supported by initiatives such as the Delta Plan 2100 and the National Agricultural Policy. High performance in water
efficiency and adaptation planning reflected institutional maturity shaped by decades of delta management experience. However, challenges in soil degradation control, input management, and long-term financial protection constrained resilience outcomes, especially across the coastal belt where saline intrusion, tidal flooding, and groundwater contamination have eroded farm viability. Sustained institutional attention to soil-water interface management and adaptive livelihood diversification remains critical for climate-resilient coastal agriculture.
Pakistan presented the most uneven policy performance, achieving 65.3 per cent overall coverage. Strengths were concentrated in knowledge transfer and market access, while critical weaknesses persisted in soil health, credit and finance, and risk management. Despite multi-policy attention, implementation remained hindered by coordination and funding gaps. The country’s extensive coastal and deltaic systems along the Indus Basin face compound risks from salinity, drought, and water scarcity, yet operational integration between irrigation management and coastal agricultural planning remained limited. Findings indicated that institutional capacity, rather than policy absence, was the principal constraint to resilience delivery. Sri Lanka achieved 66.3 per cent portfolio coverage, characterised by strong emphasis on climate resilience and knowledge transfer, but marked by gaps in soil health, financial inclusion, and market integration. Post- crisis recovery frameworks such as the Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan and the Coastal Zone and Climate Resilience Management Plan introduced valuable innovations but required consistent funding and institutional reinforcement. Coastal farming systems continued to face salinity stress, cyclone exposure, and declining soil fertility, highlighting the need for joint interventions across water, finance, and livelihood domains.
Across all four countries, the comparative analysis confirmed that while policy architectures were comprehensive, implementation remained fragmented. Three cross-cutting priorities emerged as regionally critical for coastal agricultural sustainability: rehabilitation of soil and water resources to stabilise productivity in saline-affected and erosion-prone areas; institutionalised risk management and financial inclusion mechanisms to protect smallholders from climate and market shocks; strengthened extension and community-based adaptation systems to translate policy intent into field-level practice.
The study concluded that future resilience efforts must move beyond policy design toward coordinated, adequately financed, and locally adaptive systems capable of addressing the compound risks that define South Asian coastal agriculture- salinity intrusion, tidal inundation, cyclonic impact, and livelihood insecurity, while advancing inclusive, climate-resilient growth across the region.
