Aquageoponics
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Authors
Barua, Gunjan
Issue Date
2017-10
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Agriculture , Climate Change
Alternative Title
Abstract
Rising sea levels are increasing the salinity of water sources near the coast of the south west of Bangladesh making it harder for farmers to grow crops. Water logging and shortage of cultivable land makes this problem worse. The region has large ponds created when building coastal embankments in the 1960s which are used for fish farming. Aqua-geoponics combines two existing technologies hydroponics (floating farms) and aquaculture (fish farming). These offer farmers an innovative way to generate income and provide enough food for their families. Vegetables are planted in a floating tub attached to the top of a cage and fish are then farmed within the cage itself. The vegetable cultivation process purifies the water and waste provided by the fish supplies much-needed nutrients for the growth of the crops. Both the crops and the fish selected are fast growing, meaning that up to three cycles of production can be completed each year. When the water rises, the cage rises too. The aim is to increase productivity of fish and vegetables in order to increase the incomes and nutritional security of poorer households and contribute to local economic development. Trials are taking place using different materials to construct the cages which will establish a sustainable development model for this technology. https://practicalaction.org/aqua-geoponics