Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Livelihoods

This fact sheet describes Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture (IAA) systems as a circular approach to land use that enhances food security, increases income, and supports climate change adaptation and mitigation by recycling nutrients between crops, livestock, and fish ponds.

• Integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) systems function as a circular approach that reduces waste and increases productivity by recycling nutrients. This is achieved by using livestock waste and other farm or household by-products as fish/animal feed and fertilisers, while pond water is used for irrigation and nutrient-rich pond mud serves as crop fertiliser.
• IAA serves as a low-cost climate change adaptation and poverty alleviation tool. It allows for the diversification of livelihoods, more efficient use of scarce water, and provides a productive use for land in coastal areas affected by saltwater intrusion. Because it does not typically require substantial investments, it can increase productivity in areas with limited infrastructure and institutional support.
• IAA systems contribute to greenhouse gas emission reduction, although the exact mitigation potential requires further quantification. Key benefits include the avoidance of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from decomposing animal waste and a reduced reliance on external fertilisers and animal feed, which lowers emissions associated with their production.
• Common freshwater, semi-intensive IAA systems include rice-fish farming, integrated fish and livestock farming, and the VAC system (a Vietnamese acronym for garden, pond, and livestock pen). Despite their benefits, these systems have become less common recently due to the intensification of agriculture and aquaculture.
• Successful implementation of IAA requires supporting policies, capacity-building, and attention to equity and inclusion, particularly for the most vulnerable households. The ASEAN Technical Working Group on Agriculture and Rural Development is identified as a potential key actor in promoting IAA and knowledge-sharing across the region.

APA

Anschell, N., & Salamanca, A. (2021). Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Livelihoods. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/digest-01-iaa-paper-series-may-2021-1.pdf

Chicago

Anschell, Nicole, and Albert Salamanca. Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Livelihoods. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/digest-01-iaa-paper-series-may-2021-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anschell |first1=Nicole |last2=Salamanca |first2=Albert |title=Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Livelihoods |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/digest-01-iaa-paper-series-may-2021-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anschell2021integrated, author = {Anschell, Nicole and Salamanca, Albert}, title = {{Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Livelihoods}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/digest-01-iaa-paper-series-may-2021-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }