The workshop aimed to engage members of the Malaita community of the Solomon Islands and other stakeholders in the development of a research program for increasing the sustainability and adaptive capacity of community based aquatic agricultural systems.
8 January, 2013: The Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has launched a series of stakeholder consultations in the Solomon Islands aiming to build partnerships and community leadership in the development of sustainable AAS.
Co-organized by WorldFish, a research centre of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the International Centre for Development Orientated Research in Agriculture (ICDOR), the workshop focused on cultivating the future cooperation between local stakeholders and the AAS Research Program. Participants discussed, among other issues, how community-based AAS can adapt to the challenges of rising sea levels, diminishing marine resources and growing populations.
The AAS Research Programme works to develop approaches to agricultural research and development for the benefit of poor households whose livelihoods depend on AAS. Its focus themes include: sustainable increases in system productivity; equitable access to markets; social-ecological resilience and adaptive capacity; gender equity; policies and institutions to empower AAS users; and knowledge sharing, learning and innovation.
The first phase of the AAS Research Program focuses on three major types of Aquatic Agricultural Systems: the mega-deltas of Asia; African inland freshwater systems; and the small islands of South-East Asia and the Pacific, including the Solomon Islands.
The workshop was held 6-9 November 2012 in the Malaita community as part of the Solomon Islands project roll-out. [WorldFish News Blog][AAS Website][AAS Program Summary Solomon Islands]