Climatelinks Photo Gallery

I have captured this picture in Agartala, Tripura, India. I see this spotted owl in Agartala.

In the shallows of Savusavu Bay on the island of Vanua Levu in Fiji, a coral gardener decides on the best location to replant a healthy coral finger that was broken off in the recent devasting cyclones that batter Fiji annually. Above him, a surfboard suspends baskets with hundreds of similar fragments ready for planting. A quick-drying marine cement is used, so time is of the essence. Typically this replanting occurs at a depth of between 3-10 meters to give this species of coral the best chance of revival.

A coral gardener hovers over a patch of the otherwise desolate sea floor, inspecting the progress of coral fragments replanted the year before. This gardener is responsible for replanting many living coral fragments that were broken due to annual cyclones and storms that damaged this stretch of coastline on the island of Vanua Levu in Fiji. Everyone is aware that the storms are only getting worse, but the locals have a new mantra: repair work and careful management can minimize the catastrophic effects of these storms and may even offer hope in a marine world plagued by coral bleaching events. By replanting coral that is still alive, this group of neoprene-clad crusaders is hoping to improve the shallow reef environment so that it can once again act as a nursery for juvenile fish, a barrier to protect local communities from oceanic storm damage, and act as a trigger for nearby reefs to undergo the same transformation. They also hope that the local fish stocks will dramatically improve, giving them a more sustainable and reliable fishing ground to manage and maintain. Through clear channels of education, this blueprint can help other communities tackle similar problems globally. This image was taken on March 4th, 2021.

Each coral fragment has the potential to grow into healthy spawning reef corals that can support a multitude of species living in and around it. Attracting initial marine life prompts more to follow, hopefully culminating in a healthy, diverse habitat for a multitude of marine life. This process helps at a local level with communities achieving local sustainable fish supplies, shallow reef sea surge protection for coastal villages and a healthy tourist attraction. This image was taken on March 4th, 2021.

The community members of the Imiría Regional Conservation Area (ACR Imiría) receive regular training on community forest management issues to optimize the use of their natural resources in a sustainable manner. USAID Pro-Bosques provides technical assistance to both women and men from ACR Imiría so that, by strengthening their skills, they can help preserve their conservation area and guarantee the proper management of these resources. Through interactive workshops in the communities, the participants can get involved in each of the activities being developed so that they can later replicate this knowledge in their daily tasks.

The USAID Supporting Utilities and Promoting Energy Reform (SUPER) program is working with Jamaican energy sector stakeholders, including the electric utility, Jamaica Public Service, and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, to bring legal electricity to underserved communities and reduce electricity theft. This photo was taken in June 2022 on a site visit to Steer Town in St. Anne's parish to view an electrical wiring and connection campaign. Supporting citizens to become regularized electric utility customers helps promote more efficient electricity use, requiring less power to be generated and fewer greenhouse gases emitted in Jamaica. This has direct climate impacts for the island, which derives roughly 90 percent of power from petroleum-based sources.

The USAID Supporting Utilities and Promoting Energy Reform (SUPER) program is working with Jamaican energy sector stakeholders, including the electric utility, Jamaica Public Service, and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, to bring legal electricity to underserved communities and reduce electricity theft. This photo was taken in June 2022 on a site visit to Steer Town in St. Anne's parish to view an electrical wiring and connection campaign. Supporting citizens to become regularized electric utility customers helps promote more efficient electricity use, requiring less power to be generated and fewer greenhouse gases emitted in Jamaica. This has direct climate impacts for the island, which derives roughly 90 percent of power from petroleum-based sources.

The USAID Supporting Utilities and Promoting Energy Reform (SUPER) program is working with Jamaican energy sector stakeholders, including the electric utility, Jamaica Public Service, and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, to bring legal electricity to underserved communities and reduce electricity theft. This photo was taken in June 2022 on a site visit to Steer Town in St. Anne's parish to view an electrical wiring and connection campaign. Supporting citizens to become regularized electric utility customers helps promote more efficient electricity use, requiring less power to be generated and fewer greenhouse gases emitted in Jamaica. This has direct climate impacts for the island, which derives roughly 90 percent of power from petroleum-based sources.

Lemongrass is a popular herb well-known for its scent, which makes it a favorite for spicy, nutritional, and traditional dishes. As it is possible to grow lemongrass even with limited resources in an urban environment, this herb is convenient and supports food security.

Polypropylene plastics (PP), while unattractive, are economical. They should be used as containers for rooting plant stems rather than more expensive, luxurious plant pots. Educating people on such uses of plastic containers can help encourage them to reuse rather than throw away plastics. This image shows snake plants (sansevieria) growing in plastic beverage containers. Houseplants like sansevieria contribute to respiratory health as they produce oxygen. To grow the sansevieria, a fresh cut of the plant must hang above the water in the container, not touching it, or it will be too damp to grow. The narrow mouth of the bottle facilitates this position. This method will reduce organic waste and revive dying plants.

USAID Champion for Change volunteer Faiz Sati launched “From the Earth to the Sea,” a volunteer organization focused on environmental degradation in Benghazi, Libya. He organizes weekend beach cleanups and tree-planting activities to beautify the community while teaching people about the impact of trash on the ecosystem.

To help children in Libya understand the impact of recycling and improper trash disposal on the environment, USAID distributed an Arabic translation of "Garbage! Monster! Burp!: How Some Smart Kids and a Friendly Monster Saved a Town by Tom Watson. USAID distributed "Lubaba and the Magical Garbage" to 2000 children in 22 municipalities in Libya. The books tell the story of working as a community to find responsible ways to dispose of trash and keep communities clean. Children in Benghazi received copies during a soccer match and a lesson on the importance of recycling.

For the Yoremes, tradition begins in childhood. The USAID-supported Ethos report describes how the flora, fauna, and primarily indigenous inhabitants of this area in Sinaloa, Mexico were affected by the construction of an ammonia plant.

Ethos research supported by USAID shows that the ammonia plant built in Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico, would bring risk the Santa Maria-Topolobampo-Ohuira wetland. This wetland is home to more than 100,000 shorebirds (84% of the migratory birds distributed in Mexico), the critical habitat of the bottlenose dolphin, the breeding and feeding grounds of juvenile hawksbill and black turtles, as well as commercially important fish and crustaceans.

The USAID supported Ethos investigation into Sinaloa, Mexico, reports on the "Not Here" indigenous movement against the construction of an ammonia plant. The Yoreme are an Indigenous group from Topolobampo, Sinaloa. They live in a region affected by the construction of an ammonia plant and where sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change.

This photo depicts livestock watering in a remote area near Balad, Somalia. Solar-powered water pumps are helping mitigate the effects of climate change, drawing water to drought-affected regions to be used for livestock watering and fodder production.

Due to climate change, droughts have become more common and the rainy seasons have become unreliable leading to livestock die-outs and increasing climate refugees. Climate-smart Pastorslism will ensure livestock with reliable fodder and water while mitigating climate change by growing of drought resistant elephant grass and providing livestock watering using solar power.