Objectives

The project Strengthening adaptive capacities to the impacts of climate change in resource-poor small-scale aquaculture and aquatic resources-dependent sectors in the south and south east Asian region also known as "Aquaclimate" aims to strengthen the adaptive capacities of rural farming communities to the impacts of climate change. This three-year project focuses on small-scale aquaculture and related sectors that are comprised largely of poor people who depend on aquatic resources for their livelihoods. The project is working in four countries: Vietnam, Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. The project will map farmers’ perceptions and attitudes towards prospective climate change impacts and their adaptive capacities to address these impacts. The project will develop future scenarios based on the current trends, assess the potential adaptive measures for different aquatic farming systems and prioritise better management practices, suggest codes of practice and improved methodologies for such systems.

Background

Climate change will affect farming systems worldwide. It is expected that the impacts will be disproportionately felt by small-scale farmers who are already amongst the most poor and vulnerable members of society. Ecological changes, inundation of low-lying lands and saline intrusions into freshwater regions are likely to cause substantial dislocation of communities and disruption of farming systems. There is a need to forecast the likely effects of climate change on the aquaculture sector and to develop strategies to assist farmers and rural communities to adapt to the coming changes.

Expected outputs

The project will provide small-scale farmers with strategies to maintain their resilience in the face of climatic change. The project aims to establish guidelines, frameworks and tools for policy and action programs of governments, development assistance agencies, non government organisations, and farming communities that will increase the resilience and enhance adaptive capacities of resource-poor, small-scale aquaculture farmers and those dependent on aquatic resource for livelihoods to the impacts of climatic change. It will provide information for investments in research, technology development and transfer, public education, training, infrastructure and systems, markets, financial and other support services for the poor farmers and aquatic resource users. The project will be implemented via five work packages, as follows:

• Assessment of impacts of climate change on small-scale aquatic farming systems and the potential contribution of these systems to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Risk perceptions, attitudes and risk management behaviour, status of resiliency, adaptive capacities and adaptation strategies of small-scale farmers.
• Developing adaptive solutions and scenario-building of the changes on the resources and livelihoods options of poor and small aquaculture households, and the risks and opportunities presented by climate change.
• Policy and analysis and adaptation strategy development.
• Project coordination, results dissemination and follow up action.

Progress

• The inception workshop of the project was held at the NACA Secretariat, Bangkok, Thailand from 19-20 March 2009. Participants discussed and agreed on implementation approaches and methodology, developed work plan for country case studies, identified and agreed on roles and responsibilities, developed monitoring and reporting schemes, decided on future project meetings, and developed strategies for dissemination of project findings to a wider audience in the region.
• A list of publications relevant to climate change, its impacts on small-scale farming systems and adaptation strategies has been compiled as background material.
• A new Coordinator, Climate change impacts on small scale aqua farming communities in Asia has been appointed at NACA to coordinate the project.
• A Vietnam catfish case study - Vulnerability and Adaptation to climate change on Catfish farming: Stakeholder Analysis has been published
• Focus group discussion meetings and stakeholder workshops about the impacts and adaptation of small scale milkfish farmers to climate change were held in Iloilo, Philippines, 30 September and 1 October 2009.
• Focus group discussion meetings and stakeholder workshops about the impacts and adaptation of small scale shrimp farmers to climate change were held in Ca Mau, Vietnam, 15 and 16 October 2009.
• On 3 December 2009 two focus group discussion workshops on the impacts of and adaption to climate change were conducted with sixteen small-scale shrimp farmers in Chinnapuram (an inland area), and seventeen in Gullalamoda (a coastal area), respectively, in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India.
• Aquaclimate annual report 2010 released after confirmation at the project annual meeting in Can Tho, Vietnam.
• Published technical brief: Vulnerability and Adaptation to climate change and extreme climatic events: the case of improved extensive shrimp farming in Ca Mau and Bac Lieu provinces, Vietnam: Analysis of stakeholder perceptions.
• The 2nd annual project meeting was held in Sri Lanka, 7-9 March 2011. The report of the meeting is available for available for download.

Case studies

• India: Tiger shrimp aquaculture
• Vietnam: Tiger shrimp aquaculture
• Vietnam: Striped catfish aquaculture
• Sri Lanka: Culture based fisheries in seasonal reservoirs

Collaborating agencies

• NACA
• Bioforsk - the Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Ã…s, Norway
• Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University
• Akvaplan-niva ÅS, Tromso, Norway
• Department of Primary Industry, Victoria, Australia

Funding agency

The project is funded through a grant from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Contact

Irushine Wadage, Coordinator



Dr Ambekar Eknath