With floods, drought, rising seas and spreading salinity putting South Asia's fisheries and rural livelihoods at growing risk, experts and policymakers have called for stronger regional cooperation, technology sharing and community-based action on climate-resilient fisheries and aquaculture. Krishi Shomoy carried the report from BSS.
A three-day regional workshop on "Community-based climate-resilient aquaculture development in South Asia" opened on Saturday at the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Cumilla, organised by the SAARC Agriculture Centre and the development organisation SHISHUK. About 50 delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, along with Thailand and Malaysia, are taking part.
In the keynote, Professor Dr Md Abdul Wahab of Bangladesh Maritime University said South Asian countries must give more weight to sharing knowledge, technology and experience against their common climate challenges. Dr Md Latiful Islam, director general of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, outlined the role of fisheries research and innovation in adapting to climate change.
Dr Md Shariful Islam, senior programme specialist (fisheries) at the SAARC Agriculture Centre, spoke of country-level experience sharing and scaling up community-based initiatives. SHISHUK executive director Sakiul Millat Morshed stressed local participation and building fish farmers' capacity. SAARC Secretariat director Tanvir Ahmed Tarafder and the centre's governing board chair Shabnam Shivakoti also urged regional cooperation.
SAARC Agriculture Centre director Dr Md Golam Mahbub called on researchers, policymakers and communities to work together on sustainable aquaculture. Participants will review climate risks, share experience of climate-smart aquaculture, draw up country action plans and visit the Daudkandi floodplain aquaculture model in Cumilla.
Reporting: BSS, via Krishi Shomoy
Source: Krishi Shomoy
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