This building block involves the reforestation of degraded mangrove areas in Lokoundjé. Through the planting of 6000 mangrove seedlings across 4 hectares, the initiative aims to restore essential ecosystem services provided by mangroves, such as carbon sequestration, flood protection, and fisheries support. Local communities, particularly indigenous groups like the Bakola/Bagyeli, are actively involved in the planting and monitoring of mangrove health, reinforcing both ecological and social sustainability.

It aims to raise awareness among local and indigenous communities of the importance of conserving mangroves and adopting sustainable practices. The campaign uses a range of tools, including brochures, posters, loincloths and radio broadcasts, to reach various segments of the population. Awareness-raising activities aim to educate communities about the environmental and economic benefits of mangrove conservation, while promoting the adoption of improved stoves to reduce deforestation. The aim is to create a strong sense of local ownership, ensuring long-term commitment to conservation efforts.

Several preselected sites with permanent camera traps installations have been chosen for vulture data collection, including six watering holes and one vulture feeding site. The data collected from camera traps can be used to estimate DDCR’s vulture population size, distribution, and record certain behaviors such as social interactions. 

Collecting data will be done by catching and releasing vultures by using a capturing cage. The capturing cage is progressively being built at a site where animal carcasses are regularly placed, this site is called "Vulture Restaurant". Vultures will then be fitted with GPS trackers, tagged, and released, allowing to record their movements and possibly locate their breeding grounds. Samples (blood, swabs, faeces, ectoparasites, and feathers) will be collected to assess the health of the individuals and check their exposure to diseases, environmental lead and possible NSAID contaminants. Samples will also be preserved for future conservation genetics.

Community/Cluster Information Centres (CICs) and Satellite Centres (SCs) in India function as Agroecological Kiosks and are established to provide access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in rural and remote areas, particularly to bridge the digital divide. These centres aim to empower communities by providing access to information and digital services that can enhance education, healthcare, governance, and economic opportunities.

10 CICs and 20 SCs have been established under the SAFAL project which offer farmers access to knowledge, technologies, finance, and meeting spaces. The CICs are located in the office of the farmer institution where farmers can now find: 

1. Information, applications and guidance on Government schemes and insurance, 
2. Market information about input supply and market demand in the fish value chain,
3. A knowledge hub containing training and knowledge products, digital services, printing or photocopying facilities, storage units and lastly a space to hold meetings, trainings. 

The SCs are extensions of CICs in remote areas and are situated within the residences of the CRPs in the villages. It likewise contains a selection of services such as the access to information, application and guidance on Government Schemes as well as access to smartphone with internet, small meeting, and training facilities, knowledge products and signboards. The primary purpose behind establishing SCs in remote areas is dissemination of information to rural residents who encounter challenges in commuting to the CICs.

To learn more about the CRP model see more in buidling block: Capacity Development & Extension Service: Community Resource Person Model

The Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) in India represents a grassroots approach to natural and organic certification, emphasizing community involvement, affordability, and transparency. By enabling small and marginal farmers to certify their products naturally and organically grown, PGS plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable agriculture and empowering farming communities in supplying certified fish to the domestic markets and local consumer.

PGS is recognized by the National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and is designed to ensure that natural and organic products adhere to specific standards without the need for costly third-party certification. 

Guidelines for agricultural practices were already available, while under the SAFAL project a PGS Guideline for freshwater aquaculture from sustainable practices was co-created among stakeholder from government, civil society, and academia. 

Under the SAFAL project PGS is implemented with 500 women farmers in Morigaon district, Assam to promote natural farming of Indian Major Carb (IMC). 

This community-based endorsement approach offers farmers a low-cost certification system which enables them to achieve higher prices for their naturally grown fish, thus enhancing their income and improving their livelihood. 

The SAFAL project has co-created a Farm Record Book (FRB) for effective monitoring and enhancing a fish farm’s productivity by understanding input cost and profitability of the farming business, disease cycles and risks involved.

As an additional feature, the FRB comes with a cutting edge open-source based QR-code (quick response) digital monitoring solution, the Farmer Institution Real-time Monitoring System (FIRMS) for individual farmers to share records with their farmer institutions. Farmers, Farmer Institutions, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as well as Government institutions benefit from this digital innovation.

Each FRB is equipped with a unique QR code which helps in identifying and accessing information about individuals using the FRB for maintaining the records. The QR code helps to register their information online into a digital monitoring system to ensure that only designated representatives of the FIs as well as with the Government organisation (for example, Department of Fisheries) to have access to aggregated data of the district consisting of multiple farmer institutions helping to simplify resource management and record-keeping processes through data driven decision making. 

By enabling farmers to make informed decisions through effective resource management and for example early disease detection they can explore options to improve their productivity. Farmer Institutions can also benefit from detailed information on their members' livelihood activities, allowing them to develop aggregated business models and improve service delivery such as negotiating better prices for bulk sales or the purchase of feed. By analysing trends and identifying issues using the collected data, CSOs can provide targeted support and advice to farmers, enabling them to tailor interventions to specific needs and adapt to the ground. Access to data can enable Government Institutions to plan for resource allocation and program interventions, formulate evidence-based policies, and gain detailed information about stakeholders. 

 To learn more about the FRB and FIRMS have a look into the brochure. 

When SAFAL started reaching out to aquaculture farmers in 2021,  two of the key aspects to enhancing the availability of fish and income through sustainable aquaculture became apparent: the gap on technical knowledge and financial literacy on aquaculture operations and the difficulty of accessing financial support through existing schemes. 

For farmers, harnessing the potential for expansion of their practises required acquiring new technical skills, proper planning as well as investments into their operations. SAFAL set up an inclusive community-based training cascade (see building block: CRP model) which required the development of quality course materials, tailored to the local requirements. Under consideration of reviewing and harmonizing existing material, new state of the art training materials and best practices for sustainable aquaculture were co-created in a participatory manner among scientists, government officials, experts in sustainable aquaculture practices, aquaculture operators and SAFAL technical staff.

The knowledge products and IEC material created under SAFAL are integrated with each other and can be used individually or collectively. While they follow a session schedule covering the whole training cascade and cultivation sesason, learners can also utilize them individually by choosing seasonally applicably chapters or topics of their interest. 

The KPs and IEC material are distributed through the CRP-to-Farmer training (see building block: CRP model) they are also placed in CICs and SCs (see building block: Agroecological Kiosks).  

The concept of Aquaculture Business School (ABS) revolved around providing education and training focused on Fish as Farming a Business. The concept of ABS assumes that one of the farmer’s sources of income is generated from fish cultivation, complemented by two other agricultural activities e.g., duck farming and rice cultivation. It has been designed as replication of the Farmer Business School, successfully established by the GIZ Agri Business Facility in African countries. Under SAFAL, together with the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and the Assam Rural Livelihood Mission the model has been tailored towards the aquaculture sector in India and for the first time implemented in India’s state of Assam. 

The training of ABS-Trainer (Training of Trainer, ToT) aims at enhancing the skills of teaching adult learning and knowledge of trainers in making business decisions and forecasting business risks. 

During the five-day ABS-Trainer-to-farmer training the participants covers the topics of assessment of profitability and investment needs, risk analysis, creation of a diversifying income strategies, annual business planning and entrepreneurial management.

Aquaculture Business School is about professionalizing producer initiatives, management, and demand for services and inputs.

• Assessing profitability, and investment needs.
• Risk analysis and mitigation plan over five years. 
• Income increases and income diversification.
• Higher efficiency and better quality of production.
• Personal freedom, informed decision-making, and investment.
• Professional ethics and behaviour as entrepreneurs.

The ABS model aims to empower farmers economically while adapting to local conditions and promoting sustainability.

During the first half of 2024 a master trainer was hired to train 20 ABS-trainers (ToT) in Assam. The training included equipping the participants with theoretical knowledge and allowed them to improve their training delivery through pair-learning and feedback sessions. The trained ABS-Trainer have reached out to 2000+ farmers by March 2025. Another 2000+ farmers are planned to be reached out to throughout 2025/2026.