Aquaculture expansion across ASEAN is full of opportunity, but “where to grow” is the make-or-break question for sustainability, livelihoods, and investment confidence.
The World Bank has commissioned EnviroStrat to undertake a study that will support the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Department of Aquaculture Development (DAD) within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with planning decisions regarding suitable locations for the sustainable expansion of freshwater aquaculture.
The project will produce a set of clear maps showing where freshwater aquaculture is most likely to work well — and where it isn’t using GIS and Multi Criteria Analysis. These maps are designed to support practical, evidence-based planning decisions about sustainable expansion of freshwater systems including aquaculture ponds, integrated rice with fish production, and use of cages in stream/dam fish farming. Open datasets are being used alongside local knowledge to support practical planning considerations.
We stack multiple evidence layers grouped around the following themes: environmental, aquaculture activity, administrative, infrastructure, and socio-economic – and run them through a GIS-based MCA process. Unsuitable areas are “constrained out”, and the remaining layers are standardised to a common suitability scale. We test different scenarios to ensure transparency and robustness of the decision-making process.
The output will be a series of suitability maps as a decision support tool highlighting where sustainable expansion may occur. This is designed to fit alongside other social factors linked to labour or areas such as eco-tourism growth. This will help DAD to understand trade-offs, prioritise infrastructure, and align aquaculture growth with sustainability goals. Once complete, this work and the MCA tool will serve as a wider planning framework to identify where land-based aquaculture can sustainably expand – and just as importantly, where development would be less suitable or higher risk. Ultimately, it will equip the Department of Aquaculture Development to engage in spatial planning decisions that are long-term and can deliver benefits for livelihoods and the environment.