Inland aquaculture and adaptation to climate change in Northern Thailand

Understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on aquaculture is improving but still limited compared to many other agricultural activities. Most studies have focused on marine and coastal systems. The range and merits of options as well as capacities of inland aquaculture sector to adapt is less well understood.

Inland communities are vulnerable to a different set of stressors than those living in the coastal zone. Effective water resources management at farm and basin scales, in particular, is crucial to the sustainability of inland aquaculture.

The vulnerability of fish aquaculture to climate change shares some similarities with those of animal husbandry, for instance, related to diseases and predators, use of land and water as well as needs to manage inputs. However, there is a smaller foundation of experimental data and models to quantitatively explore impacts of different climates on yields. Impacts of weather under climate variability provide additional insights on system sensitivities. Under current climates extreme flood events and drought-associated low water flows are important causes of direct and indirect losses. Floods, for example, can lead to loss of fish, invasion by unwanted species and damage to pond walls or cages.

This project seeks to improve understanding of effective ways to reduce flood- and low-flow related losses of aquaculture farms under current climate through research on historical events and existing risk management practices at farm and watershed scales.

The research study will identify effective ways to reduce flood- and low-flood related losses of aquaculture farms as well as build resilience of livelihood systems under plausible future climates through deliberative, multi-stakeholder assessment of individual and watershed-level adaptation options, and pilot local planning actions.

The key emphasis of this study is to engage with key stakeholders, including aquaculture farmers, extension agents, local governments, line agencies, other water consumers upstream and downstream, and water resource managers in key locations in Thailand and share their understanding.