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Aquatic Ecosystems and Fisheries

Introduction

As demand for water increases and water development plans are launched, the interests of poor people who depend on aquatic resources for their food and livelihoods often get low priority from policymakers, planners and resource managers—and are sometimes ignored altogether. However, there is growing realization that more investment is needed to sustain aquatic ecosystems and increase their benefits to the poor.

While planning resource-development initiatives, water managers face the challenging task of ensuring that stress on the structures and functions of ecosystems is minimized. However, to date, there is insufficient understanding of vital issues such as environmental flow requirements of rivers, methods for assessing water productivity in the context of ecosystem benefits, and the governance and valuation of ecosystems.

Theme 3 focuses on developing decision-making tools for planners and water managers. Development, dissemination, and application of such tools will provide decision makers with quality information on governance, value and water requirements of these ecosystems and propose ways to enhance their productivity.

Research questions

What are the factors that influence people’s access to, and control over, aquatic ecosystems and their resources?

What kinds of governance systems and enabling policies and institutions foster equitable and sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems?

How can capacity be built within national and local institutions to ensure that poor people’s needs are taken into account in policy development and governance processes?

What are the monetary and non-monetary values of goods and services provided by different types of aquatic ecosystems?

What are the appropriate tools for generating timely information for use by poor stakeholders?

When and how can water productivity and livelihoods be improved by integrating fish production and the harvesting of other aquatic animals and plants into farming and irrigation/flood-prone systems?

Impacts and Outputs

• Improved understanding of factors determining different groups’ access to aquatic resources and how these can be managed

• Guidance on the types of governance systems, policies and institutions that foster equitable and sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems and their resources

• Assessment and valuation of goods and services provided by aquatic ecosystems and costs of ecosystem degradation

• Tools and methodologies for generating such information in a timely and accessible manner

• Improved understanding of impacts of hydrological change on the ecological functions of aquatic ecosystems and the different goods and services they provide

• Assessment of current and potential contributions of aquatic resources to water productivity in different farming systems, notably irrigated and flood-prone systems

• Improved understanding of the benefits that can be obtained by integrating fish production and the harvest of other aquatic animals and plants into farming systems