A tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been inked among Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA), the Director of Fisheries, and WorldFish. The agreement aims to bolster climate-resilient aquaculture practices in the state.
The MoA signing ceremony took place in the presence of key officials, including Development Commissioner-cum-ACS Department of Water Resources Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of Fisheries and ARD Suresh Kumar Vashisth, and Principal Secretary of A&FE Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, at the DoWR Conference Hall of Rajiv Bhawan.
Notably, OIIPCRA is a World Bank-supported initiative being implemented in 15 districts of the state through the Odisha Community Tank Development & Management Society (OCTDMS), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under DoWR. The project focuses on intensifying and diversifying agricultural production while enhancing climate resilience through various components such as climate-smart intensification, improving irrigation access, institutional capacity strengthening, and project management.
The Fisheries sector, under the aquaculture production sub-component, is actively promoting climate-resilient aquaculture practices in 263 Managed Irrigation Projects (MIPs). These efforts aim to empower small-scale farmers and encourage species diversification through polyculture.
The project has facilitated capacity building among stakeholders, enhancing knowledge on aquatic food production systems and strengthening community-based institutional architecture. Innovations such as bio-floc fish farming technology have been adopted, and initiatives like freshwater prawn nurseries and the provision of water testing kits to monitor water quality parameters have been implemented.
The signed MoA is expected to facilitate the implementation of various activities and promote best practices in the sector. It will enable real-time tracking through the integration of the Decision Support System of the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (FARD) with the OIIPCRA application. Additionally, the agreement includes provisions for orientations, workshops, and the preparation of technical content for communication materials related to the project.
The collaboration will also involve conducting exposure visits, reviewing the aquaculture sub-component, and assessing project interventions through crop outcome surveys. The agreement aims to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation, fostering the sustainable growth of climate-resilient aquaculture practices in Odisha.
