International Journal of Environment and Climate Change

Freshwater aquaculture contributes substantially to global food security and rural livelihoods, yet faces mounting threats from climate-driven extremes, particularly prolonged drought and episodic flooding, which are projected to intensify across major production regions throughout the twenty-first century. This critical review synthesises evidence on the hydrological, physiological, epidemiological, and socio-economic consequences of these extremes on inland aquaculture systems, drawing on peer-reviewed literature published primarily between 2010 and 2024, supplemented by foundational studies from earlier years. Drought reduces water availability, elevates temperatures, depresses dissolved oxygen, concentrates pollutants and harmful algal toxins, and disrupts feed supply chains, collectively diminishing yields and threatening producer livelihoods. Flooding causes direct structural damage to farm infrastructure, introduces pathogens and contaminants, promotes fish escapement and the genetic pollution of wild stocks, and generates cascading economic losses that fall disproportionately on smallholder farmers in lower-income countries. Compounding interactions among temperature rise, altered precipitation regimes, and pathogen dynamics amplify these risks beyond what either stressor produces in isolation. A portfolio of adaptive management strategies — encompassing recirculating aquaculture systems, biofloc technology, climate-resilient species and genetic lines, integrated rice–fish farming, early warning systems, and revised policy frameworks — offers actionable pathways towards greater resilience. Critical gaps persist in region-specific vulnerability assessments, in the economic quantification of compound event losses, and in the translation of adaptation knowledge into guidance accessible to smallholder producers. This review argues that progress requires deeper integration across hydrology, fisheries science, epidemiology, and agricultural economics, underpinned by institutional frameworks that foreground equity alongside productivity.