Co-designing integrated mangrove aquaculture for the Indian Sundarbans

In the Indian Sundarbans, brackish water aquaculture must contend with salinity, cyclones, storm surges, erosion and other environmental and conservation pressures. Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture (IMA) offers one possible response by combining aquaculture production with the conservation, restoration or managed integration of mangroves. But making IMA workable beyond individual farms requires more than a technical design. Farmers need management practices and business models that reflect local conditions, costs, risks and livelihood priorities.  

That was the focus of a stakeholder co-design workshop held on 3 September 2026 in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Organized by WorldFish and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) under the CGIAR Climate Action Program, in collaboration with Sasya Shyamala Krishi Vigyan Kendra (SSKVK), the workshop brought together approximately 60 participants, including around 50 farmers from six community development blocks across the Indian Sundarbans.  

The purpose was to test draft IMA farm management guidelines and proposed business models against farmers’ experience. 

From technical guidance to farm-level realities 

The draft management guidelines covered decisions ranging from site selection, farm design and mangrove species selection to pond management, fish health, harvesting, record-keeping and risk management. A central principle was that IMA should be adapted to local site conditions rather than applied as a single standard model.  

The discussions brought this site-specific approach into focus. Farmers raised questions about which mangrove species to plant, how to manage overgrown mangroves, which fish and shrimp species are suitable for stocking, and how much pond area can be allocated to mangroves without compromising aquaculture production. They also examined the investment, labour, production risks and expected returns associated with different management practices.  

The workshop also addressed soil and water quality, a basic condition for productive aquaculture. Participants discussed how monitoring and managing these conditions can affect pond productivity, fish health, management costs and production risks.  

Exploring different business pathways 

Rather than assuming that one business model will suit every farmer, the workshop considered three possible pathways for IMA: upgrading existing silvofisheries or IMA ponds; converting conventional brackish water ponds to integrate mangroves; and combining IMA with agricultural or horticultural activities where site conditions permit.  

Participants considered these options in relation to available resources, investment requirements, management responsibilities and possible returns. Their feedback will inform further refinement of the business models, including analysis of initial and recurring costs, labour requirements, risks and market access.  

Carbon finance: potential, but not guaranteed 

Mangroves can store carbon in their biomass and soils, creating interest in whether carbon finance could eventually provide an additional revenue stream for IMA systems. The workshop introduced farmers to measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), carbon accounting and carbon-credit mechanisms. 

The discussion also set an important boundary around those possibilities. Carbon finance is not an assured source of farm income. Its feasibility would depend on credible carbon-accounting methods, project eligibility, reliable MRV, independent verification, certification requirements and market conditions. Aggregating multiple small farms may help address some transaction and monitoring challenges, but this requires further assessment.  

Co-design continues beyond the workshop 

The workshop did not produce a final model for IMA in the Sundarbans. Instead, it provided evidence and farmer feedback needed to improve the next versions of the guidelines and business models. 

The next steps include incorporating stakeholder recommendations, continuing field-level testing under different aquaculture conditions, developing practical training and communication materials, and further assessing the technical and institutional requirements for carbon accounting and MRV. Continued engagement with farmers, government agencies, research institutions and other actors will be needed as the approach is tested and refined.  

For IMA to expand in the Indian Sundarbans, technical recommendations will need to work under the conditions farmers face on the ground. The co-design process is intended to ensure that decisions about farm management, investment and potential new revenue streams are informed by both scientific evidence and local experience. 

This work is carried out with support from the CGIAR Climate Action Program. We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/