Resilience in the Sundarbans: How Shrimp Farming is Helping Communities Adapt to Climate Change

A social enterprise that started in the Netherlands and is spreading to countries around the Celtic Sea is training young people to work in marine industries while restoring ocean biodiversity. The young trainees work on projects like marine mammal observation and planting seagrass.

Farmers in West Bengal, India, are swapping rice for bananas to save on expenses and labor and adapt to increasingly erratic monsoons and rainfall impacting yields. The farmers use solar panels and drip irrigation setups funded by the state government to reduce emissions and minimize water loss, as bananas require a lot of water.

Seaweed is emerging as a solution to Maine's shifting climate and economy, providing alternative industries for ocean farmers and also supporting land farmers' climate initiatives. While still in piloting stages, studies have shown up to 50 percent reductions in methane on New England cow farms that incorporate seaweed into feed.

Farmers around the world are implementing agroecology practices to make their farms more resilient to climate change while promoting climate justice to strengthen farming communities. Agroecology follows 13 principles that include ecological practices, like using organic fertilizers, and political and social values, like embracing land rights.

In Paris, building-based agriculture, like rooftop gardens, allows for the production of nutritious food close to where they will be eaten. The practice helps eliminate carbon emissions, improve food security, and improve climate resilience.

Communities in Ecuador are building a “bioeconomy” through ecotourism and sustainable agriculture instead of relying on oil extraction. This can help protect the country’s biodiversity and increase locals’ incomes.

Seaweed farming on Pemba Island is allowing women to earn income and support their families. Improved cultivation techniques introduced by the Tanzanian government and The Nature Conservancy via a training program have not only accelerated economic but also environmental rehabilitation.

The Next California project, a collaboration between AgLaunch and WWF, is helping transform the Mississippi Delta into a sustainable and prosperous agricultural economy. Working with local farmers across Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi, the organizations are helping agricultural operations incubate projects, diversify assets, and grow distribution networks.

The renewable energy company EnerWealth Solutions is helping Black farmers in the Carolinas install solar panels among their crops so they can benefit financially from the solar boom with a consistent stream of income.

Mobile homeowners are buying the land their homes are on to form resident-owned cooperatives so they can upgrade infrastructure faster. This allows them to combat and adapt to climate change by installing things like solar panels and drainage systems.