Understanding the impacts of climate change for fisheries and aquaculture: applying a poverty lens

Abstract

Key messages <ul> <li>Climate change affects communities and livelihoods in fisheries and aquaculture, and efforts to adapt to and mitigate climate change must therefore be humancentred.</li> <li>Climate adaptation strategies must emphasize the need for poverty eradication and food security, in accordance with the Paris Agreement, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international instruments, such as the Voluntary guidelines for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication.</li> <li>Measures to eradicate poverty and provide food security for people in fishing and aquaculture communities are also instrumental for climate change adaptation, and should be integrated in the formulation and implementation of national adaptation plans.</li> <li>Climate change adaptation for building resilience must be multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral to help people out of poverty and to prevent them from descending further into it.</li> <li>Capacity at national, regional and local levels of governance should be mobilized to facilitate adaptation to climate change for the poor and vulnerable.</li> <li>To address climate change vulnerability, management systems must create opportunities for fishers, fishfarmers and fish-workers to remain flexible, and to be able to sustainably utilize diverse livelihood opportunities.</li> <li>Climate change adaptation should empower local stakeholders to allow for meaningful participation of the poor and vulnerable, and safeguard their human rights.</li> <li>Climate change adaptation measures must address issues of power imbalances and inequity disadvantaging the poor, as they relate to, for example, gender, labour conditions, tenure rights, market access, migration patterns and stakeholder conflicts.</li> <li>The impact of climate change and adaptation measures for the poor and vulnerable must be monitored at different scales and dimensions, focusing both on achievements, best practices and on possible maladaptation.</li> <li>There is a need for the countries to put a stronger emphasis on poverty and food security in the context of fisheries and aquaculture within their national determined contributions.</li> </ul>