Fisheries and aquaculture can provide solutions to cope with climate change

This 4 side note, "Fisheries and aquaculture can provide solutions to cope with climate change", holds may useful ideas and advises that aquaculture is an important means of diversifying and improving the productivity of farming systems and for improving food security in many regions, especially in Africa and Asia.

It advocates that if implemented properly, Integrated aquaculture-agriculture (IAA) systems can help conserve water and its potential to help farmers cope with climate change is enormous. Expanding fisheries where farming becomes marginal is one example given, such as farmers using flooded and saline areas no longer suitable for crops to cultivate fish. It suggests that farms can also use the water in reservoirs and ponds used for fish culture, to moderate the swings between drought and flood which affect agriculture systems. Waste nutrients and water from such water bodies can help sustain crops during periods of drought, thereby increasing the resilience of the farming system.

Conversely, the paper suggests that, due to existing synergies between agriculture and fisheries, a reduction in fisheries, can impact upon agriculture in some regions, particularly inland areas. The report recommends working on climate change at a landscape level, rather than sectoral level, to seek mitigation and adaptation methods which support interconnected systems, such as agriculture and fisheries. It also offers recommendations for further research. The short briefing note can be read here. HYPERLINK "http://www.worldfishcenter.org/resource_centre/CC-ThreatToFisheries1701…"http://www.worldfishcenter.org/resource_centre/CC-ThreatToFisheries1701…