The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriers

The integrated rice-prawn-vegetable culture (RPVC) is an effective farming method that ensures the efficient utilization of water and land. This study aims to evaluate the role of RPVC in climate change adaptation, its ecosystem services, and economic sustainability in Bangladesh. Integrated RPVC p...

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Main Authors: Md. Asadur Rahman, Md. Mehedi Alam, Sadman Sakib, Rupesh Das, Md. Hasan Faruque
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BdFISH 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Fisheries
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Online Access:https://journal.bdfish.org/index.php/fisheries/article/view/885
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author Md. Asadur Rahman
Md. Mehedi Alam
Sadman Sakib
Rupesh Das
Md. Hasan Faruque
author_facet Md. Asadur Rahman
Md. Mehedi Alam
Sadman Sakib
Rupesh Das
Md. Hasan Faruque
author_sort Md. Asadur Rahman
collection DOAJ
description The integrated rice-prawn-vegetable culture (RPVC) is an effective farming method that ensures the efficient utilization of water and land. This study aims to evaluate the role of RPVC in climate change adaptation, its ecosystem services, and economic sustainability in Bangladesh. Integrated RPVC provides farmers with ecosystem services, including reducing use of the fertilizers and insecticides and lowering financial instability. The vegetable platform shades prawn ponds naturally, while prawns consume insects in rice fields. After rice plants are harvested, their roots can serve as food for prawns. Majority of the respondents (85%) reported that adopting RPVC increased the overall productivity. Farmers faced a variety of climatic hazards; ranked as: drought (86.3%) > erratic and sudden heavy rainfall (81.5%) > temperature fluctuation (69.6%) > salinity intrusion (67.2%) > storm (28.5%). The ecosystem services provided by RPVC helped farmers to mitigate the adverse impacts of these climate-induced challenges through ecosystem-based adaptation. Integrated RPVC has also enabled farmers to maintain a consistent cash flow throughout the year. By promoting the production of multiple commodities—rice, prawns, and vegetables—the system reduces the risk of financial destitution. Despite benefits, farmers also encountered several challenges in implementing RPVC including water shortage (85.2%), disease (73.5%), theft (60.4%), increased feed costs (70.7%), lack of information (65%), increased labor cost (58.8%), and not getting expected market value of farming products (63.2%). However, if these barriers are addressed, the integrated RPVC system holds significant potential to foster long-term socio-economic growth in the southwest region of Bangladesh.
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spelling doaj-art-2e4b5a669f6d4e9da30da3a4e0eae07a2025-08-20T02:48:19ZengBdFISHJournal of Fisheries2311-729X2311-31112025-03-0113110.17017/j.fish.885The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriersMd. Asadur Rahman 0Md. Mehedi Alam1Sadman Sakib2Rupesh Das3Md. Hasan Faruque4Department of Fishery Resources Conservation and Management, Khulna Agricultural University, Khulna 9100, BangladeshDepartment of Fishery Resources Conservation and Management, Khulna Agricultural University, Khulna 9100, BangladeshWater Quality and Fisheries Management Laboratory, Department of Fisheries, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, BangladeshWater Quality and Fisheries Management Laboratory, Department of Fisheries, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, BangladeshWater Quality and Fisheries Management Laboratory, Department of Fisheries, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh; Department of Fisheries, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh The integrated rice-prawn-vegetable culture (RPVC) is an effective farming method that ensures the efficient utilization of water and land. This study aims to evaluate the role of RPVC in climate change adaptation, its ecosystem services, and economic sustainability in Bangladesh. Integrated RPVC provides farmers with ecosystem services, including reducing use of the fertilizers and insecticides and lowering financial instability. The vegetable platform shades prawn ponds naturally, while prawns consume insects in rice fields. After rice plants are harvested, their roots can serve as food for prawns. Majority of the respondents (85%) reported that adopting RPVC increased the overall productivity. Farmers faced a variety of climatic hazards; ranked as: drought (86.3%) > erratic and sudden heavy rainfall (81.5%) > temperature fluctuation (69.6%) > salinity intrusion (67.2%) > storm (28.5%). The ecosystem services provided by RPVC helped farmers to mitigate the adverse impacts of these climate-induced challenges through ecosystem-based adaptation. Integrated RPVC has also enabled farmers to maintain a consistent cash flow throughout the year. By promoting the production of multiple commodities—rice, prawns, and vegetables—the system reduces the risk of financial destitution. Despite benefits, farmers also encountered several challenges in implementing RPVC including water shortage (85.2%), disease (73.5%), theft (60.4%), increased feed costs (70.7%), lack of information (65%), increased labor cost (58.8%), and not getting expected market value of farming products (63.2%). However, if these barriers are addressed, the integrated RPVC system holds significant potential to foster long-term socio-economic growth in the southwest region of Bangladesh. https://journal.bdfish.org/index.php/fisheries/article/view/885adaptationclimatic hazardseconomic suitabilityecosystem servicesintegrated prawn farming
spellingShingle Md. Asadur Rahman
Md. Mehedi Alam
Sadman Sakib
Rupesh Das
Md. Hasan Faruque
The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriers
Journal of Fisheries
adaptation
climatic hazards
economic suitability
ecosystem services
integrated prawn farming
title The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriers
title_full The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriers
title_fullStr The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriers
title_full_unstemmed The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriers
title_short The role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in Bangladesh: ecosystem services, economic viability and barriers
title_sort role of integrated prawn farming in climate change adaptation in bangladesh ecosystem services economic viability and barriers
topic adaptation
climatic hazards
economic suitability
ecosystem services
integrated prawn farming
url https://journal.bdfish.org/index.php/fisheries/article/view/885
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