| Summary | Issues | Objectives | Activities | Team | Links | Gallery | Contacts |

 

 

 

Technical training and capacity building program for the reconstruction of tsunami-impacted, brackishwater aquaculture ponds in Aceh, Indonesia (ACIAR Project FIS/2005/028)

 

and

 

Technical capacity building and research support for the reconstruction of tsunami-affected, brackishwater aquaculture ponds in Aceh (ACIAR Project FIS/2005/009)

 

 

 

The 26 December 2004 tsunami caused widespread devastation of tambak-based aquaculture on the west and north east coast of Aceh, Indonesia. 'Tambak' is the commonly used Indonesian term for brackishwater aquaculture ponds. Over 20,000 ha of tambaks are currently out of production. Before the tsunami the local aquaculture industry produced 10,300 tonnes of shrimp and 6,100 tonnes of milkfish annually. The farm gate value of shrimp is estimated to be US$46.5 million and for fish, US$9.6 million. Brackishwater aquaculture accounted for approximately 32% of the total local fishery value. Over 90,000 people were directly employed in the aquaculture industry before the tsunami and most survivors have no alternative source of income (Phillips and Budhiman, 2006).

 

Following the emergency phase in early 2005, the redevelopment of the industry was identified as a high priority by the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) in an attempt to restore livelihoods in coastal communities. In many cases complete reconstruction of tambaks, canals and other infrastructure is necessary but to date efforts to redevelop the industry have been hamstrung by a lack of local expertise required to tackle the scale of the reconstruction effort and address environmental and engineering limitations on redevelopment. In particular, technical expertise is desperately needed to address soil problems and to ensure that the reconstruction of tambaks, dykes and canals follow sound engineering and environmental principles.

 

The primary objective of this program is to provide immediate and longer term technical and research support to the tambak redevelopment activities with a particular emphasis on building technical capacity within the Centre for Brackishwater Aquaculture Development (CBAD), Ujung Batee, Aceh. The project operates in partnership with the Aceh Aquaculture Rehabilitation Project (AARP), developing technical expertise within District Dinas Perikanan (Bureau of Fisheries) to implement district-level technical extension teams, and to provide direct technical support to NGOs and farmers involved in the reconstruction effort. District-level technical extension teams are being trained and resourced to undertake work on soil assessment and remediation, the redesign of tambaks and canals, spatial planning of the redevelopment and promotion of best management practices and alternative farming systems for severely degraded environments unsuitable for intensive monoculture. The technical support is being delivered through regular training programs to build expertise in Government Agencies and staff of donor programs. The dissemination strategy is regularly updated with the AARP to provide comprehensive technical training programs that are well targeted and cut across the different technical needs of the end users. Additionally, the project is also providing research support through the characterisation of environmental constraints, particularly soil and hydrological properties of selected sites.