Title: A conceptual framework for the sustainability assessment procedures of the shrimp aquaculture industry in coastal Bangladesh

Authors: Md. Arif Chowdhury, Ganesh P. Shivakoti, Md. Salequzzaman

Addresses: School of Environment, Resources and Development, Mail Box-159, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang Pathumthani 12120, Thailand. ' Agricultural and Natural Resources Economics, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang Pathumthani 12120, Thailand. ' Environmental Science Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh; Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy (ISTP), Murdoch University, Australia

Abstract: Shrimp aquaculture is now establishing itself as an important aquaculture industry in coastal Bangladesh. However, the benefit of this industry is concentrated to only the interests of a specific group of people who contribute a significant amount of foreign earnings to the nation, while the present development process is posing a challenge to the coastal sustainability, as well as the industry itself. This paper analyses the contexts of sustainability in relation to the coastal shrimp aquaculture industry and identifies the relevant sustainable factors or indicators for coastal Bangladesh. In addition, this paper examines these sustainability indicators quantitatively in regard to how they can be used through a unifying index that allows the present shrimp aquaculture to be assessed considering all sustainability components, such as environmental, economic and socio-cultural factors separately and in interaction with each other. Finally, this paper presents a conceptual framework for a sustainability assessment methodology of coastal shrimp aquaculture in Bangladesh.

Keywords: shrimp aquaculture; sustainability assessment; conceptual framework; sustainability indicators; sustainability factors; Bangladesh; sustainable development; coastal waters; sustainable acquaculture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2006.009162

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2006 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.162 - 184

Published online: 07 Mar 2006 *

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