Roots of Resilience: The Women Preserving Asia's Ancient Mangrove Forest

Community-oriented heat pump group-buying programs work together to secure discounts of 10–20% on heat pump installations. Organized by companies, nonprofits, and local governments, group-buying programs have led to participants saving thousands of dollars and more people participating in climate-forward development.

In the South Indian coast, erosion is leading to disappearing beaches. A study found that this erosion was in part due to man-made structures like a harbor that was built in the late 80s, groynes, and seawalls. These structures were interfering with the natural movement of sand. To fix it, they needed a structure that could block waves but also allow sand movement, the solution? An artificial reef. It was installed and some beaches are already seeing the results.

Around the world, scientists are eco-engineering urban waterfront areas to encourage marine species diversity. Seattle’s Central Waterfront area was recently enhanced with a textured and angled concrete sea wall to encourage the growth of algae and invertebrates, a built-up seafloor to attract juvenile salmon who like shallow water, and light penetrating glass bricks in the sidewalk, which boost seaweed growth and entice shade-avoidant salmon smolts. The project also enhances the human experience with more pedestrian access, better storm water management, and a new pier park with direct water access.

Women crab farmers in coastal Maharashtra are earning substantial incomes by raising crabs in mangrove forests, creating a financial incentive that protects these critical ecosystems while building climate resilience and women's economic independence.

The Azores archipelago transitioned from hunting whales to whale conservation and eco-tourism that support research by implementing whale watching guidelines and building up the new industry after whaling was banned.

The Nusantra Fund provides financial support directly to community-led projects in Indonesia. The aim is to improve the livelihoods of Indigenous and local people while tackling climate change impacts and protecting biodiversity.

The Tropical Research and Conservation Center’s mangrove restoration projects in Nigeria use a community-based, participatory approach to engage locals in the process, educate them on the importance of the trees, and keep them from turning to deforestation as a source of income.

Women in villages throughout India and Bangladesh are “silent climate warriors” who plant mangrove trees as a way to mitigate the effects of rising waters. While it’s not always easy to convince their family members that they should do this, they have been able to grow an additional 2,000 acres of mangroves that can reduce the speed of waves and capture carbon dioxide. They also earn income, about $430 a year, for growing and planting saplings.

Over many months, the Wuikinuxv Guardian Watchmen in British Columbia, Canada, patrol about 2,000 square kilometers of the coast by boat, and they're doing everything from warding off poachers to participating in scientific studies. Since it’s rare to see government vessels monitoring the area, many Indigenous communities throughout Canada have created these guardian programs as a way to conserve and protect their land.

A hit TV show in the 1970s and ‘80s called The Beachcombers brought the town of Gibsons and its logging practices into homes across Canada. After years of pollution and land degradation, it became one of the first towns in the world to incorporate nature into the municipality’s finances. Developers have to take stock of what natural infrastructure is on their property before they build. The town also launched an initiative to encourage other places to calculate the value of their green infrastructure. So far, 30 of them have signed up across the Great White North.