| Sumario: | The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and WorldFish convened a one-day stakeholder engagement workshop on August 25, 2025, in Salt Lake, West Bengal, under the CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Program. The workshop aimed to identify the ecological, institutional, and socio-economic challenges facing two of the most valuable wetland ecosystems—the East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) and the Indian Sundarbans—and to provide a participatory platform for co-developing science-based strategies for sustainable wetland and fisheries management.
A total of 76 participants (26% women) representing government agencies, research organizations, universities, CGIAR centers, NGOs, community-based organizations, farmer cooperatives, individual farmers, and private institutions contributed to the discussions. This diverse representation enabled exchanges of grassroot-level knowledge and scientific evidence, driving a richer, informed dialogue.
The morning sessions introduced the CGIAR SAAF Program and examined fisheries opportunities and constraints in West Bengal, aquaculture innovations, and sustainability concerns in the EKW. Afternoon sessions explored circular bioeconomy-based livelihood models (including biochar from water hyacinth); management challenges and opportunities for small indigenous fish species (SIS); and fisheries-linked vulnerabilities in the Sundarbans. An extended interactive session on farmer perspectives related to sustaining aquaculture in the EKW was organized where wastewater governance, ecology–livelihood linkages, SIS seed innovation, and need for hatcheries were discussed.
The workshop underscored the urgent need for a state-level aquaculture roadmap that is climate-smart, inclusive, and ecologically grounded. Participants emphasized aligning future strategies with sustainable development priorities and recognizing the value of wetland ecosystem services through mechanisms such as blue carbon credits, biodiversity credits, and nature-based financing instruments.
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