Pond Liners to Save Water and Ease Maintenance

Preserving Water, Pond Liners for Sustainable Fish Farming.

Pond liners, made of materials like PVC or polyethylene, act as synthetic geomembranes, preserving water, enhancing biosecurity, and simplifying pond maintenance. They are adaptable to various pond sizes and shapes, with plastic liners being robust but slightly harder to install in smaller ponds.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•9

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 9/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: A bit less water used

Problem

Water seepage leads to significant water loss, especially in ponds constructed on porous soils like sands and silts.
Evaporation from ponds, particularly in areas with high temperatures, results in additional water loss, affecting water availability for fish farming.
Algal blooms caused by excessive nutrient levels in ponds can lead to water quality issues, impacting fish health and productivity.
Without pond liners, nutrient cycling between water and sediment may be inefficient, affecting pond ecosystem balance and requiring more intensive maintenance.
Sandy soils and areas with poor access to freshwater are particularly prone to water loss in ponds, exacerbating water scarcity challenges for fish farmers.

Solution

Reduces water losses through seepage by creating an impermeable barrier between the water and the soil.
Decreases water evaporation from ponds, helping to preserve the available water quantity.
Prevents the formation of algal blooms by limiting excessive nutrient input into the water.
Promotes nutrient cycling between water and sediment, thereby improving overall pond health.
Offers a practical and sustainable solution for building ponds in porous soils or regions with limited access to freshwater.

Key points to design your program

To integrate pond liners into aquaculture development programs, development partners should support investments that improve water conservation, increase fish productivity, and strengthen climate-resilient aquaculture systems. The technology contributes to SDG 1 (No Poverty) through increased incomes for fish farmers, SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through improved fish production and food security, SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) through efficient water use, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) through adaptation to water scarcity and climate-related water stress.

Start with an assessment of water availability, pond performance, soil characteristics, and aquaculture challenges in target communities.
Ensure access to quality pond liners, installation materials, and water management equipment adapted to local aquaculture systems and environmental conditions.
Support training for fish farmers, cooperatives, women groups, and youth enterprises on pond liner installation, pond management, water quality monitoring, biosecurity, and maintenance practices.
Fund pond construction and rehabilitation activities, water storage infrastructure, and extension services to improve adoption of water-efficient aquaculture technologies.
Promote use of pond liners in areas with porous soils and limited water resources to reduce seepage losses, improve water retention, and increase fish production efficiency.
Support women and youth participation in aquaculture enterprises and pond management services to strengthen livelihoods and create employment opportunities.
Track indicators such as reduction in water losses, improvement in pond water quality, increase in fish production, reduction in pond maintenance costs, farmer income growth, and number of farmers adopting pond liners.
Leverage partnerships with WorldFish, aquaculture research institutes, extension services, liner suppliers, cooperatives, and private sector actors to support scale-up and long-term sustainability.

2 - 3.5 USD/square meter

Sheet plastic

IP

Open source / open access

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 9 out of 9

Common use by intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Niger	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
South Sudan	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Sudan	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Togo	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 6: clean water and sanitation

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Measure Pond Dimensions:
- Calculate pond volume using the formula: Volume = (d/6) x (At + Ab + 4 Am).
- Where V is volume, d is depth, At is the area on top, Ab is the area at the bottom, and Am is the area at half the depth.
Prepare Liner Installation:
- Clean a 25 cm strip along both edges of the liner with rubbing alcohol.
- Apply primer in a 15 cm strip along the top of one liner piece.
Seaming Two Sheets:
- Glue the two sheets with double-sided tape.
- For polyethylene, heat-seal the sheets.
Ensure Watertight Seals:
- Overlap sheets with an extra 50 cm.
- Remove shoes when stepping on the liner to prevent damage.
- During water filling, pull and tuck the liner into shape for a neat finish.
Adhesive Application:
- Clean strips with rubbing alcohol for proper adhesion.
- Use primer and glue to bond sheets securely.
Calculation for Additional Material:
- Add an extra 50 cm where sheets overlap for watertight seals.