Culture-based fisheries and milk production can enhance the food production of small-scale inland fishers and livestock farmers in Sri Lanka, who currently account for an 80% share of food production, and thereby improve their food, nutritional, and livelihood security. Water, a key resource for culture-based fisheries and milk production in small-scale farming systems, is under stress and is increasingly affected by climate change. However, water governance poses a significant challenge to the expansion of culture-based fisheries and livestock production among smallholder farmers. Improved coordination and integration of inter- and intra-institutional policies, as well as commitment from regional administrators, are crucial for integrating culture-based fisheries and milk production into smallholder farming.