India, Nov. 28 -- In flood-prone Makaltala, erratic monsoons and prolonged waterlogging have left thousands of hectaresof paddy submerged for months.

Farmers, especially women, face severe livelihood losses.

Local innovations like water chestnut cultivation and floating vegetable beds offer temporary relief.

Bridging scientific research with lived realities is critical for long-term resilience.

In the flood-prone lowlands of West Bengal, the fate of farming now entirely depends on the whims of water. The monsoon that historically sustained paddy has turned erratic, with delayed onset and heavy late-season rains, leaving fields submerged for months.

In villages like Makaltala in Habra I block of North 24 parganas, the plots where farm...