Title:	Aquaculture adaptation framework for climate change (Aqua-Adapt): a tool to support the development and implementation of strategies to improve aquaculture’s resilience to climate change.
Authors:	SOTO, D. SAMPAIO, F. G.
Affiliation:	DORIS SOTO, UNIVERSIDAD DE CONCEPCIÓN; FERNANDA GARCIA SAMPAIO, CNPMA.
Date Issued:	2025
Citation:	Rome: FAO, 2025.
Pages:	102 p.
Description:	Abstract: Aquaculture’s vulnerability to climate change urgently requires practical adaptation strategies. To strengthen the sector’s resilience, countries should develop strategies that include actions from various stakeholders from the field (species, farms, farming systems, farming communities, research and innovation systems, etc.) to the governance level. Findings from previous studies indicate the need for more climate-resilient measures and guidance on recognizing and classifying technologies, innovations, and solutions that can decrease the risk of – and increase resilience to – climate change. Thus, the current initiative developed an Aquaculture Adaptation Framework for Climate Change (Aqua-Adapt) as a tool to support the development and implementation of strategies to improve aquaculture’s resilience to climate change. FAO developed Aqua-Adapt in partnership with researchers from Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), including a consultative process with international experts from different regions. The deliberations and recommendations of these experts were incorporated into the final version of Aqua-Adapt. To finalize the development of Aqua-Adapt, two case studies, one on salmon farming and the other on mussels, were implemented. This allowed adjustments and a greater understanding of potential technologies to make them more resilient. Aqua-Adapt was developed using definitions based on the fifth and sixth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports, which establish that the adaptation process should focus on risk reduction while increasing opportunities. Aqua-Adapt proposes a six-step process that must incorporate the participation of relevant stakeholders and access to the best available information, on the development of an adaptation strategy. The first step is to establish the unit of adaptation which may range from individual farmers to the minimum geographical and/or geopolitical unit of adaptation. The unit of adaptation includes the farmed species and associated socio-ecological systems at appropriate spatial scales. The second step is to identify and chose the most appropriate climate projection pathways and models. The third step is to perform a risk and vulnerability assessment on the defined unit. This crucial task involves predicting and identifying the most significant hazards to guide adaptation actions and timing. This step must be fed with the best available information, including climate projections and chosen scenarios and time scales. The fourth step is to design an adaptation work plan to reduce the identified exposure and sensitivity and increase adaptive capacity in the adaptation unit. This includes elaborating a timescale for implementation (actions required in the short-, medium- and long-term to improve resilience in the adaptation unit) and choosing the best adaptation options considering the effectiveness of measures, costs, and technical difficulties. Also, it must consider the co-benefits of adaptation measures, the potential for maladaptation, and human and financial resources. The fifth step involves implementing the strategy following the work plan. The sixth implicate conducting ongoing monitoring and evaluation to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the implemented measures, costs, and/or technical difficulties.
Thesagro:	Aquicultura Mudança Climática Risco Climático
NAL Thesaurus:	Aquaculture Climate change Risk reduction Cost benefit analysis
Keywords:	Resilience Weather hazards
Series/Report no.:	(isheries and Aquaculture Technical Papers, n. 739).
ISBN:	978-92-5-140015-9
ISSN:	2664-5408
Type of Material:	Livros
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Livro científico (CNPMA)