Climate change adaptations of shrimp farmers: a case study from southwest coastal Bangladesh

Sustainability of brackishwater shrimp farming is of paramount importance for socio-economic development of southwest coastal Bangladesh. Here, shrimp farming is predominantly traditional, which is more vulnerable to climate change. Lack of understanding exists regarding the adaptation measures of local shrimp farmers in response to emerging impacts of changing climatic variables. This study provides the perceptions and adaptations of shrimp farmers in changing climatic context. A systematic random sampling method was employed to conduct a total of 240 questionnaire surveys and 60 key informant interviews from six sub-districts (Upazila) of southwest coastal Bangladesh to collect primary data. Changes in climate variables largely affect the shrimp yield by increasing frequency of shrimp disease, causing physical damage to farm structure and deteriorating quality of water. Shrimp farmers try to adapt to those changes in various ways, including increasing pond depth, exchanging tidal water, providing shade using aquatic plants, strengthening earthen dike and netting and fencing around the dike. Shrimp mixed cultivation is the most popular form of shrimp farming in the study area. More emphasis on implementing polyculture shrimp farming is necessary to improve climate change adaptation and to promote sustainability of this aquaculture practice in southwest coastal Bangladesh.