Climate change-related risk adaptation in striped catfish, tilapia and shrimp farming systems in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

This study aims to determine climate change-related risk (CCR) impacts, responses of farmers, and assistant activities in tilapia cage culture (TC), striped catfish nursery (SCN), striped catfish grow-out (SCG), improved extensive shrimp (IES) and intensive shrimp (IS) systems. A survey of 601 farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, was conducted using clustered sampling. Intense rainfall events and rapid changes in temperature affected all five surveyed farm systems. Extreme high temperatures impacted the TC, IES and IS systems, while extreme low temperatures impacted the striped catfish groups (SCN and SCG). Striped catfish farming systems were more sensitive to low temperatures in comparison to shrimp and tilapia. For risk management purposes, increasing pond dike height was applied in the SCN and SCG farming systems. While increased pond depth was observed in the SCN, SCG and IS systems, the IS and SCN systems had higher counts of additional pond construction. Water quality was monitored and feed supplements/medicines were used by farmers in all five farm systems; however, these activities were higher for the SCN, SCG and IS systems than for the TC and IES groups. Reduced stocking density was observed in TC, SCN, SCG and IS, but not in IES. In addition, the use of aerators or mixers was the most-employed solution in the IS system. Amongst information sources of climate-related risks, television was found to be the most important, followed by neighbouring farmers and the Department of Fisheries (DOF)...