Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Smart Technologies for Climate-Resilient Aquaculture in West Africa

Aquaculture is increasingly recognized as a critical pathway for addressing food security, employment generation, and nutrition deficits in Ghana and West Africa, particularly as capture fisheries stagnate under growing demographic and environmental pressures. This chapter examines the evolution, structure, and sustainability of aquaculture systems in the sub-region through an integrated conceptual lens that combines innovation systems thinking, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), and sustainability analytics. Drawing on empirical examples from Ghana and neighboring countries, this chapter traces the transition from subsistence-oriented pond systems to intensified commercial models such as, cage culture, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), and integrated aquaculture–agriculture systems. It critically examines key environmental, economic, and social constraints – including dependence on imported feeds, nutrient loading and pollution, limited access to finance, fragmented governance frameworks, and persistent gender and youth exclusion – while highlighting emerging technological, organizational, and digital innovations that improve efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. Particular emphasis is placed on hybrid knowledge systems that blend modern science with local practices to produce context-appropriate, scalable solutions. Anchored within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national development priorities, this chapter provides a holistic framework for understanding aquaculture as a sociotechnical system and proposes strategic pathways for scaling sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient aquaculture across West Africa.