The new Aquaculture Decision Support Tool (Aqua-DST) will facilitate informed decision-making for aquaculture expansion in the Upper Ayeyarwady River Basin of Myanmar. This includes the Kachin, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing and Southern and Eastern Shan states/regions. The tool currently covers 37 townships in Myanmar.
It incorporates multi-criteria assessments of climate hazards, aquaculture systems, biophysical conditions and socioeconomic factors. By performing suitability analyses, Aqua-DST helps to identify high-risk areas prone to flooding and water scarcity. Â
The tool can help planners and others to better locate aquaculture ponds and identify demand-supply deficit areas in terms of input availability. This will enable value chain actors to identify business opportunities that will also improve aquaculture adopters’ access to feed and other inputs. Together, the services provided by Aqua-DST can help mitigate risks, improve pond sustainability and prevent financial losses.
The Aqua-DST is versatile and can be utilized by planners at the township and district levels, by aquaculture practitioners, Fishery Federation members, community and non-governmental organizations, private sector input suppliers and research organizations. It will support the development of tailored, targeted investments in aquatic food production systems for specific regions. It will demonstrate how suitability results and corresponding maps can be interpreted and applied in land use planning and policy development, showcasing Aqua-DST’s potential to drive sustainable aquaculture growth.
