Impacts of climate change and water uses on availability of water for aquaculture in the Lower Nan Basin

This is an incomplete draft submission (one-pager) towards a longer article / publication, the object of which is to explore how changes in climate and water demand could potentially influence flows in the Nan River at different times of the year and thus the conditions under which cage aquaculture remains viable. The Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) system was used to analyze water balances and river discharges, for a set of water demand, allocation, dam operation rules (for the Sirikit Dam) and climate change scenarios

Improving climate risk management as an adaptation strategy in inland aquaculture in Northern Thailand

This article assesses the robustness of alternative, longer-term, adaptation strategies for inland aquaculture under a set of qualitative future scenarios of climate, water and fish demand in northern Thailand. Strengthening climate risk management practices in inland aquaculture requires attention be given to short-term reactions, mid-term tactics, and long-term strategies at household, community, and national scales. The benefits of pursuing specific long-term strategies like investing in new technologies or infrastructure, establishing insurance or improving early warning systems, is shown to vary across scenarios. The implication is that adaptation pathways in the aquaculture sector must maintain significant flexibility

Planning for production of freshwater fish fry in a variable climate in northern Thailand

Provision of adequate numbers of quality fish fry is often a key constraint on aquaculture development. The management of climate-related risks in hatchery and nursery management operations has not received much attention, but is likely to be a key element of successful adaptation to climate change in the aquaculture sector. This study explored the sensitivities and vulnerability of freshwater fish fry production in 15 government hatcheries across Northern Thailand to climate variability and evaluated the robustness of the proposed adaptation measures. This study found that hatcheries have to consider several factors when planning production, including: taking into account farmer demand; production capacity of the hatchery; availability of water resources; local climate and other area factors; and, individual species requirements. Nile tilapia is the most commonly cultured species of freshwater fish. Most fry production is done in the wet season, as cold spells and drought conditions disrupt hatchery production and reduce fish farm demand in the dry season. In the wet season, some hatcheries are impacted by floods. Using a set of scenarios to capture major uncertainties and variability in climate, this study suggests a couple of strategies that should help make hatchery operations more climate change resilient, in particular: improving hatchery operations and management to deal better with risks under current climate variability; improving monitoring and information systems so that emerging climate-related risks are known sooner and understood better; and, research and development on alternative species, breeding programs, improving water management and other features of hatchery operations