Advances in Climate Resilient Aquafarming Practices.

Abstract

Climate change impacts on various food-producing practices are already being witnessed all overthe world, especially in a more vulnerable country like India, having an enormous populace reliant on farming, and extending extreme burden on natural assets with poor coping mechanisms. Among the different food-producing practices, fisheries and aquaculture have prime importance. The risk factors of climate change such as an increase in temperature, sea-level rise, cyclone, storm surges, ocean acidification and all associated ecological changes are causing a wide range of problems in the fisheries sector. The aquaculture sector is sensitive to the changing climate, which needs a different vision for improved production. The socio-economic effects of climate change on the aquaculture industry and communities should be clearly understood to adopt sustainable and environmentally sensitive farming practices. Under changing environmental conditions, the focus should be on the adaptation of climate-resilient culture fisheries for climate-smart aquaculture strategy to improve nutritional security for the growing population. A suitable strategy is to adopt an integrated approach in the farming system. Many traditional integrated farming systems such as agri-aquaculture based system, livestock-based aquaculture system and agri-aqua-livestock integration is already in use. Besides, the scientific interventions in the concept of integrated farming has resulted in many viab le advanced technologies such as partitioned aquaculture system, Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), aquaponics, biofloc technology, recirculatory aquaculture systems (RAS) and raceways. All these practices are helpful to improve production as well as in the reduction of climate change impacts and to avoid contribution towards climate change.