The University of Stirling in Scotland is leading a £3.5 million ($4.5m) project to support sustainable aquaculture in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.

The AquaSoS initiative aims to tackle key challenges like pollution, climate change, and disease through a new digital tool that uses satellite data, water sensors, and lab analysis to provide critical ecosystem insights.

The project is expected to help policymakers, scientists, and industry leaders balance food production with environmental protection. It is one of four projects launched under a £12m program by UK Research and Innovation to enhance sustainable aquaculture practices across Southeast Asia.

The funding is provided by the UK government’s International Science Partnership Fund.

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Due to take place in Hòn Đất district of Kiên Giang province in 2023–2026, it is budgeted to cost VNĐ624 billion (US$26.6 million) – enough to provide infrastructure like irrigation works, roads and power supply systems.

The project is set to include shrimp/rice farming and production of giant river prawns.

According to Viet Nam News, Kiên Giang province is aiming for its aquaculture sector to annually produce 484,800 tonnes of seafood by 2030.

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Rising populations mean a growing demand for food, and that’s putting more and more pressure on the agriculture sector tasked with providing it.

Faced with a crisis, like many other industries, it’s turning to technology as a source of innovation.

IoT sensors and systems have been utilized to monitor and improve the efficiency or productivity of other agriculture technology (agritech) solutions, as well as to provide data analytics on weather patterns, crop productivity, and seasonal changes, to name a few. All this is contributing towards a global smart agriculture market that is expected to be worth US$29.23 billion by 2027.

Recent efforts towards discovering alternative food sources have led to renewed interest in aquaculture farms as a means to sustainably cultivate fish. But, over the past two decades, the aquaculture industry has seen annual production tripled while feed prices also have risen dramatically.

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The post Is IoT the solution to Asia’s aquaculture problems? first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Several new facilities that will help increase fish production in Laos and improve the livelihoods of people engaged in fishing are being built under a project for Strengthening Research and Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The construction was launched last week by the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Phouangparisak Pravongviengkham, and the Ambassador of Japan to Laos, Mr Takeshi Hikihara, along with officials from various departments and district representatives. The structures will provide facilities and equipment for the Namxuang Aquaculture Development Centre and the Living Aquatic Resource Research Centre in Naxaithong district of Vientiane.

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The post New facilities to develop aquaculture in Laos first appeared on Open Development Mekong.