Climatelinks Photo Gallery

A solar-powered streetlight is installed at a livestock farm near Balad, Somalia to help scare away predators and provide light during the night.

This picture was taken at a brick kiln in northwest Bangladesh. Brick production is an important industry in Bangladesh, and approximately 1 million people work directly or indirectly in about 7000 kilns. The number of brick kilns is increasing annually due to rising demands for infrastructure developments. However, these kilns emit carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, polluting cities and rural areas. The air quality in Bangladesh has become severely unhealthy, especially during the dry season when the kilns are active. People who work at brick factories are risking their health. Dhaka, the capital city, has become one of the most polluted cities on the planet, and if this situation continues, other major cities will also become unlivable. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, and brick kilns are driving global warming.

This picture depicts an embarkment at Kutubdia island broken by rising sea levels and natural disasters. This area on the southeastern coast of Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, severely impacted by coastal erosion, insufficient contingency plans, and poor infrastructure. Homes, cultivable lands, and trees are being swallowed by the sea every year. As a result, people are becoming increasingly impoverished and struggle to fulfill even their basic needs. Many people are migrating to the cities to seek employment, but this situation also has risks, especially for women and girls, who often become victims of trafficking.

According to the global climate change index, Bangladesh is one of the top ten most vulnerable countries on the planet. Its southern regions are predicted to vanish into the ocean in the next few decades, and, in recent years, seawater levels, coastal and river erosions, and natural disasters have increased in frequency and severity. However, climate-resilient infrastructure has helped protect communities like Mongla, in the Bagerhat district pictured here. The government of Bangladesh has spent tens of thousands of dollars promoting climate resilience in this city and nearby areas, with positive results.

Rising salinity, unusual dry spells, and floods due to climate change have created a shortage of safe and pure drinking water in the southern coastal districts of Bangladesh. Many families are adapting by collecting rainwater.

Due to the impact of climate change, the number of refugees is increasing every day, especially in the southern coastal regions of Bangladesh. As a result, people are desperately moving to the cities to find work. The southern city of Khulna is experiencing many climate change-related issues, including a rising number of climate migrants. Living in Khulna city is expensive, and many low-income climate migrants live just outside the city, on the other side of the Rupsha River. They cross the river every day by ferry boats to go to work.

Cathedral in the Desert is a stunning monument located in the heart of Glen Canyon. Originally named for its natural resemblance to a cathedral, it has been buried under nearly 100 feet of floodwaters from the Lake Powell reservoir since 1963. In 2021, droughts created extremely low water levels at Lake Powell, allowing this stunning spot to be visited. The red boat pictured here took the photographer to Reflection Canyon and Lake Powell. As of 2022, there is no more water in this spot due to drought.

This picture shows Diamond Harbour, located at the estuary of India's Ganges River. In this region, most local people work directly or indirectly with fishing. Many have small fishing boats and fish every day during high tide. In this image, two men prepare a fishing net for the next morning's fishing trip.

A farmer irrigates his plot of watermelons in Rwanda's district of Kayonza. This is one of the 20 environmentally-friendly solar-powered irrigation systems funded by USAID at the cost of $1,056,976 (RWF 1,094,415,255), to irrigate about 200 hectares utilised by over 1,200 farmers. The farmers can now increase the production of fruits and vegetables two-fold up from two planting seasons to all year round mainly around Rwanda's drought-prone districts of Bugesera, Ngoma, Kayonza and Gatsibo. The five-year Hinga Weze project closed in 2022 after supporting the sustainable intensification of Rwandan smallholder farming systems for 733,000 farmers, with emphasis on climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive approaches and social behaviour change to the production and consumption of five value chains including nutritious foods: high-iron beans, Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP), Irish potato, maize, and horticulture. Hinga Weze also worked to increase the resilience of Rwanda’s agricultural and food systems to a changing climate.

A farmer irrigates his plot of watermelons in Rwanda's district of Kayonza. This is one of the 20 environmentally-friendly solar-powered irrigation systems funded by USAID at the cost of $1,056,976 (RWF 1,094,415,255), to irrigate about 200 hectares utilized by over 1,200 farmers. The farmers can now increase the production of fruits and vegetables two-fold, from two planting seasons to all year round mainly in Rwanda's drought-prone districts of Bugesera, Ngoma, Kayonza, and Gatsibo. The five-year Hinga Weze project closed in 2022 after supporting the sustainable intensification of Rwandan smallholder farming systems for 733,000 farmers, with emphasis on climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive approaches and social behavior change to the production and consumption of five value chains including nutritious foods: high-iron beans, Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP), Irish potato, maize, and horticulture. Hinga Weze also worked to increase the resilience of Rwanda’s agricultural and food systems to a changing climate.

A farmer harvests french beans in Rwanda's district of Kayonza. This is one of the 20 environmentally-friendly solar-powered irrigation systems funded by USAID at the cost of $1,056,976 (RWF 1,094,415,255), to irrigate about 200 hectares utilized by over 1,200 farmers. The farmers can now increase the production of fruits and vegetables two-fold, from two planting seasons to all year round mainly in Rwanda's drought-prone districts of Bugesera, Ngoma, Kayonza, and Gatsibo. The five-year Hinga Weze project closed in 2022 after supporting the sustainable intensification of Rwandan smallholder farming systems for 733,000 farmers, with emphasis on climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive approaches and social behavior change to the production and consumption of five value chains including nutritious foods: high-iron beans, Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP), Irish potato, maize, and horticulture. Hinga Weze also worked to increase the resilience of Rwanda’s agricultural and food systems to a changing climate.

A farmer irrigates his plot at Rukumberi solar-powered irrigation site constructed by Hinga Weze in Ngoma District. This is one of the 20 environmentally-friendly solar-powered irrigation systems funded by USAID to irrigate 202 hectares of land utilized by over 1,200 farmers. The farmers can now double their production of fruits and vegetables by shifting from producing in two seasons to all-year-round production. The USAID-funded irrigation sites were installed by the USAID Feed the Future Hinga Weze project, implemented by CNFA, in Rwanda's drought-prone districts of Bugesera, Ngoma, Kayonza, and Gatsibo. The five-year Hinga Weze activity closed in June 2022 after supporting over 733,000 farmers to increase their productivity of drought-resistant and nutritious crops, improving their incomes and nutritious food consumption.

In Kisubi Village, Katabi Subcounty, Uganda, marabou storks enjoy nature's abundance without disturbance from humans. Through seminars, workshops, coaching, and practice, the African Forum for International Relations in Research and Development (AFIRRD) educates local communities on the importance of wildlife. Occasionally, AFIRRD also collects plastic waste and transports it to safe areas designated by authorities. However, there is a shortage of technology to safely dispose of this waste, threatening wildlife like storks which often consume and become tangled in plastic debris.

A young cancer survivor holds a sign protesting against climate change and rising temperatures. In India, polluted air has been associated with an increased risk of cancer. This protester has lost his ability to speak after developing throat cancer, and now communicates through writing.

The photo was taken in El Nido, Palawan, the Philippines, showing a marvelous seascape with scenic mountains. As we care for nature, it responds with its captivating beauty and giftedness. Behold in this age of climate change, the reciprocity, connectedness, universality, and challenge of sustained human well-being!

fish farming in Rwanda is mostly done on small scale