Saline Aquaculture Network in Ghana

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£769,970

Dec. 1, 2020

May 31, 2022

The coast of Ghana stretches 350 miles, binds 4 administrative regions, and is home to more than a quarter of the country's population. Due to increasing salinity of the water and soil, indigenous coastal communities are suffering from a scarcity of safe water for drinking and irrigation, leading to poor agricultural productivity. Soil erosion and flooding are also growing problems along Ghana's coast, with millions of dollars invested in flood protection for major coastal cities.

The "Saline Aquaculture Network in Ghana" project - SANGHA - will establish a network of saltmarsh and aquaculture sites to grow halophytic crops from local seawater and solar-powered irrigation. Degraded or redundant coastal lands will be adapted to grow the crops, and existing aquaculture farms will be enhanced with floating beds of samphire halophytes and mangrove reforestation, providing an additional revenue stream for the farmers as well as water cleaning, flood-mitigation, carbon capture, and pollution services.

Scene Connect (SC) is Project Lead with Seawater Solutions (SS) as Technical Lead. SC is an expert in local energy systems and business model development for bottom-of-the-pyramid customers in the Global South. SS launched the first seawater farm in the United Kingdom and will launch Vietnam's first experimental aquaculture farm in early 2020. Various saltwater systems have been developed by SS, including renewable-powered irrigation systems, IoT sensors, and processes to mimic natural ecosystems. This innovation and approach will bring the following benefits to Ghana:

• High carbon capture
• Increased agricultural yields and improved soil/water/air quality
• Promoting organic and regenerative farming practices
• Promoting ecosystem restoration
• Defence of coastlines from flooding and erosion
• Producing high-value 'superfoods' (e.g., Samphire)
• Improving incomes and livelihoods of indigenous coastal farmers, especially women, of coastal communities
• Investigating novel markets across the agricultural supply chain.

Local partner, Maltiti Foundation (MF) facilitates the promotion of quality livelihood for women living in deprived communities in Ghana. MF is the engagement and social research lead, conducting wide ranging analysis of local communities, project impacts and helping to integrate women, young people and marginalised groups into the SANGHANA project, including through awareness raising, training and employment.