Advancing Climate-Smart Aquaculture for Biodiversity, Environment, Livelihoods, and Sustainability

project summary

In Rwanda, where the population is growing rapidly and many households face food insecurity, cage aquaculture in Lake Kivu has the potential to play an important role in strengthening food security. If managed well, aquaculture can provide a reliable source of protein and income, and help communities adapt to climate extremes. But if poorly managed, it can damage lake ecosystems, threaten biodiversity, and increase greenhouse gas emissions.

The AquaBELS project seeks to promote climate-smart aquaculture that supports livelihoods and food production while protecting freshwater ecosystems. Focusing on Lake Kivu, a biodiversity-rich and economically important lake shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the project will map ecologically valuable and vulnerable habitats, measure how aquaculture affects water quality, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions, and identify best practices for siting, feeding, and fish stocking. It will also work with communities to co-design gender-inclusive strategies that empower women, while developing climate-smart tools that link catchment processes, lake hydrodynamics, and climate change scenarios to guide sustainable farm placement and production. At the same time, AquaBELS will build local and regional capacity through training, joint PhD research, and collaboration between Rwanda, Kenya, and the DRC.

Our approach combines ecological fieldwork, socioeconomics, and advanced modeling techniques. We will conduct ecological surveys and greenhouse gas measurements in both lake embayments; aquaculture and reference sites, assess river catchment loadings for nutrient and sediment inputs, and work directly with farmers and communities to create sustainable solutions. These data will feed into models that can predict how different aquaculture practices and climate scenarios affect lake dynamics, fish production, and community benefits.

The project will deliver maps, models, and best-practice guidelines to support decision-makers, farmers, and investors. It will also train a new generation of East African researchers and strengthen institutions, ensuring that aquaculture development is both equitable and sustainable. In overall, AquaBELS will create a framework and example practices regarding how aquaculture can be developed in ways that protect biodiversity, reduce environmental risks, empower women, while securing nutritious food and resilient livelihoods for future generations.