In cities, a rooftop system may service a population located nearby.
This could be the case in many of
the world’s larger cities where hundreds of these systems can collectively provide a great deal of food
that doesn't have to be commercially transported into the city from
great distances. Where public and
private transportation is available
on an established network of roads,
a small commercial aquaponics system of 2000 square meters or less
can be very affordable. The term
“village” can refer to a small rural
community in Africa, but can also
refer to an aquaponics system that
is providing fresh fish and produce
for the guests of a five star beach
resort on an island that has limited
agricultural resources.
Having experience bringing new
technology to Africa and embracing
aquaponics as a sustainable solution, will pose a different set of
challenges that need to be considered because they will influence the
economics and design, especially in
the underprivileged African communities.
Availability and Support –
Importation costs to some of
these countries are very high
and the availability of materials,
equipment and spares will remain a challenge. Making use of
local distributors to provide support will alleviate some of these
potential risks.
dro as alternative energy
sources. Although the initial capital outlay of alternative energy
is expensive, with rising costs of
electricity, the use of alternative
energy will prove to pay for itself
over time.
Quality – With support in Africa
remaining a challenge, it is advisable to invest in materials and
equipment that is robust
enough to withstand the conditions of Africa. The dust, humidity, extreme temperatures as well
as the harsh African sun will
have an impact on the longevity
of equipment.
Other Operating costs – While
the availability of quality fish
food and the cost thereof remains an ongoing sustainability
concern, efforts are made to
create a "close loop" aquaponics
systems by producing their own
feed. Although cultivating black
soldier fly larvae, red worms and
duckweed as an alternative, it is
still recommend to feed fish a
professionally formulated feed.
This will ensure that not only
aquaponic fish that are in your
care receive an optimal diet for
their health, but the plants get a
balanced diet through their
waste. In Africa, if not locally
available in the country, fish
food and organic pesticides will
have to be imported to these
countries which can have an impact on the viability of sustainable systems.
Energy Requirements – Across
the African continent only 10%
of individuals have access to the
electrical grid. Although aquaponics uses much less energy
than conventional agriculture,
installations still rely in varying
degrees on man-made energy,
technological solutions, and environmental control to achieve
recirculation and water/ambient
temperatures. Especially in Africa, systems must be designed
with energy conservation in
mind, using wind, solar and hy-
The author with the Danish Dutch Bucket system in front and NFT system behind as well as some lettuce produced with the aquaponics system.