В Бангладеш внедрение климатически-умного аквакультуры увеличило доходность соляных ферм в 8,7 раза

Development and evaluation of climate‑smart aquaculture interventions to enhance livelihood resilience in salt farming communities of Bangladesh Hasan Md. Rakibul, Muhammad Rahman, Seikh Razibul Islam, Md. Anisuzzaman, Khadijatul Riya, Takaomi Arai, Norhayati Ngah, M. Belal Hossain. (26/3/2026). Development and evaluation of climate‑smart aquaculture interventions to enhance livelihood resilience in salt farming communities of Bangladesh. Aquaculture International, 34, pp. 1-24. Coastal salt farming communities experience increasing livelihood insecurity as a result of climate-induced stressors, including rising salinity, sudden rainfall, and seasonal flooding. This study assessed the efficacy of climate-smart aquaculture (CSA) interventions as adaptive strategies to transform environmental challenges into sustainable income opportunities. Three CSA technologies were implemented on artisanal salt farms in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar: Artemia pond culture, improved marine aquaculture (IMA) utilizing saline-tolerant species such as Oreochromis niloticus and Penaeus monodon, and shrimp nursery systems. We evaluated productivity, profitability, and resilience outcomes through participatory on-farm trials and biophysical and economic monitoring over a production cycle. The study revealed that although Artemia-based systems achieved notable biological outputs, producing 853.69 kg/ha of biomass and 6.71 kg/ha of cysts compared to 643.28 kg/ha and 2.34 kg/ha in conventional systems, with a cost–benefit ratio (CBR) of just 0.17, IMA farmers culturing Oreochromis niloticus, Penaeus monodon, Scylla serrata, Lates calcarifer, and other coastal species achieved a significantly higher yield of 1.8 MT/ha (p < 0.05), compared to 0.75 MT/ha in the previous year 2022, with a remarkably high cost–benefit ratio (CBR) of 8.78. Shrimp nursery systems reported a survival rate of 73 ± 4%, an average body weight of 3.88 ± 1.12 g, a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.01, and a production yield of 983.71 ± 162.33 kg/ha, corresponding to a CBR of 0.98. Among the evaluated systems, IMA delivered the highest economic returns, while Artemia culture and shrimp nurseries exhibited strong biological potential but required further optimization for financial viability. In particular, the low CBR in Artemia farming was primarily due to high brine costs; a 20% cost reduction could raise the CBR to 1.23, making the system economically sustainable. Artemia culture during post-monsoon months transforms unused salt beds into productive systems, providing a novel model for continuous income generation. The three CSA interventions enhanced productivity, adaptation, and income while conserving carbon stocks and reducing GHG emissions by utilizing existing salt beds without land use change.