Climatelinks Photo Gallery

The southwest coastal region of Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable and climatically exposed regions experiencing slow and sudden-onset disasters like cyclones, storms, tidal floods, and increasing salinity. The economy of Bangladesh is primarily based on agriculture and fisheries. Without proper adaptation to climate change and the promotion of climate-smart agriculture, local livelihoods and food security will be at risk. Morrelganj, in the Bagerhat District, is severely affected by climatic upshots. Salinization is destroying agricultural yields. A marginal farmer in Dewatala village, within the southwest coastal belt, grows saline-tolerant vegetables to continue her nature-based livelihood and ensure food security as a form of climate change adaptation. For the sake of survival, this and other local farmers are changing traditional ways of cultivation and adapting and transforming capacities to increase their livelihood resilience in the food sector. In the picture, the farmer is depicted smiling, holding freshly plucked red spinach from her homestead garden, showing her satisfaction and triumph over the negative impacts of climate change.

Morrelganj Upazila is a climate-vulnerable coastal area in Bangladesh. In this region, climate change has created a drinking water crisis. Several natural disasters have intruded on the coastal belt, contaminating the local surface and groundwater with saline. There are few sources of drinking water for local communities, and these disasters have worsened the situation. In this photo, a group of women is going to fetch water from a solar-operated pond sand filter on the other side of the river because the walking road has been broken by a tidal flood. Women are responsible for collecting drinking water in these regions, wasting their time and economic ability. Sometimes they also face sexual harassment. They have formed a group to share the cost of boat fares and ensure their mutual safety. This picture portrays the togetherness of these women to address the water problem. This photo was taken in Bohorbunia Union, Morrelganj Upazilla in Bagerhat District, Bangladesh.

Habitat conversion from forest to farmland is the principal driver of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. At the same time, each year a forest remains standing, it absorbs carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change. These standing forests provide habitat to threatened species and improve hydrological functions. The USAID Integrated Land and Resource Governance program is working with the Frankfurt Zoological Society in the North Luangwa Landscape of Zambia to document the land rights of farmers like the community of Tindiza in Chikwa Chiefdom living adjacent to national parks within community-managed landscapes. These household land rights protect men and women and ensure that their properties fit within a larger land use plan for the area designed to cater to humans and wildlife.

Habitat conversion from forest to farmland is the principal driver of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. At the same time, each year a forest remains standing, it absorbs carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change. These standing forests provide habitat to threatened species and improve hydrological functions. The USAID Integrated Land and Resource Governance program is working with the Frankfurt Zoological Society in the North Luangwa Landscape of Zambia to document the land rights of farmers like the community of Tindiza in Chikwa Chiefdom living adjacent to national parks within community-managed landscapes. These household land rights protect men and women and ensure that their properties fit within a larger land use plan for the area designed to cater to humans and wildlife.

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. Both factors modify the abundance and distribution of marine fish and affect local livelihoods and traditions.

USAID Program: Strengthening National and Local Anti-Corruption Systems through Civil Society and Private Sector Participation

This photo was taken in Vereda Altagracia, Municipality of Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. This family carries out traditional and typical activities of the region developed within the nature tourism service, which generates economic benefits. Their actions help conserve the Orinoquia's floodplains because their principles are not to burn or fell natural vegetation, plant native species, avoid the drying up of natural springs which maintain the ecosystems, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

In Bocas del Pauto in the Municipality of Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia, farmers living in flooded savannas carry out activities typical of the livestock production system. Each link in the meat chain carries out activities that improve and maintain the conditions of natural ecosystems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. First, the incorporation of Criollo cattle adapted to the natural cycles of the flooded savannas reduces the transformation of the territory due to the excessive sowing of introduced pastures and production costs by improving efficiency. Second, the reduction in the use of medicines improves soil edaphic fauna conditions. Third, the production traceability and the reduction in the number of animals per unit area avoids effects on the soil due to overgrazing. Fourth, the reduction of intermediaries reduces the transport fleet and gas emissions. Fifth, the articulation of livestock activity with initiatives for the sale of carbon credits generates economic benefits and commits families to develop different activities that improve adaptation to climate change. This project is supported by USAID's Natural Wealth Program, the Casanare Departmental Cattle-Ranching Committee, and the Casanare Chamber of Commerce.

Farmers grow their coffee among trees that provide shade. Agroforestry models like this one conserve native forests and protect the soil from erosion. Also, planting new shade trees increases carbon captures that can be turned into carbon credits, providing them an extra income for mitigating climate change. This initiative is led by Amazonia Connect, the Amazon Regional Environment Program (AREP) and its partners: USAID, Earth Innovation Institute, National Wildlife Federation, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Amazonia Connect - AREP - the Amazon Regional Environment Program

Partners: USAID, Earth Innovation Institute, National Wildlife Federation, University of Wisconsin-Madison

This is an image of a regenerative livestock farm. Such farms guarantee food security and well-being for rural communities. Moving from extensive livestock farming to more intensive and sustainable livestock farming has enormous potential for carbon absorption or mitigation in Colombia, as cattle ranching is present in one-third of the country. The National Framework of Reference for Sustainable Livestock Landscapes establishes sustainability principles, criteria, and indicators to plan and implement viable scenarios for continuous improvement in the different livestock landscapes present in the country. This project is supported by the National Framework of Reference for Sustainable Livestock Landscapes, USAID, Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA), USDA, and Solidaridad.

National Framework of Reference for Sustainable Livestock Landscapes

USAID, Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA), USDA, Solidaridad

This farmer proudly shows off his herd. He has put sustainable livestock into practice after receiving technical assistance, which taught him about a harmonious coexistence between agricultural production and environmental conservation. Extension services in the Amazon contribute to increased household productivity and income while avoiding clearing new areas of native vegetation, thus combining production improvement with the conservation of the Amazon Rainforest. Amazonia Connect is a regional project working in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru that belongs to the Amazon Regional Environment Program (AREP). It is supported by USAID, the Earth Innovation Institute, the National Wildlife Federation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Solidaridad.

This is a photograph of the North Aqaba Wastewater Treatment plant in Aqaba, Jordan. Captured here are some of the solar panels that help power the wastewater treatment process that occurs in the buildings and structures behind the panels. The solar panels, along with the use of biogas from the treatment process, reduce the need for fossil fuels to power the treatment plant. In addition, the water is treated to a point where it can be reused for watering municipal public spaces thereby saving limited drinking water supplies. This work took place as part of USAID's Jordan Water Infrastructure project which was implemented by CDM International Inc.

Background:

The North Aqaba Wastewater Treatment plant was originally constructed in 1986 and expanded in 2005 with a grant from USAID. Under this project, USAID once again supported the expansion and rehabilitation of the North Aqaba Wastewater treatment plant to accommodate the sanitation needs of Aqaba’s growing population and enhance sanitation for residents of Aqaba Governorate. Through this project, USAID helped to construct new facilities and rehabilitate the existing wastewater treatment plant. The project increased the treatment capacity of the plant from 12,000 m3/day to 40,000 m3/day.

The plant was completed in November 2021, and 150,000 people in Aqaba Governorate are benefiting from safely managed sanitation services that prevent contamination of water resources and protect public health and the environment. Properly treated wastewater now serves as an alternative water source for irrigation of public green spaces and for industrial use, relieving pressure on drinking water supplies for domestic uses.

This green project enjoys significantly lower operational costs and reduces its impact on the environment through its use of sustainable solar energy, from the use of  photovoltaic (PV) power generation and biogas produced through the wastewater treatment process.

Through the World Food Programme's "Grown Your Own Food" initiative, Palestinian families are taking an active part in agriculture and food systems. In this photo, a woman and her husband are harvesting lettuce from their home garden, feeding their family, and helping to prevent droughts.

With USAID's support, the Tech2Peace "A New Reality: Innovating Together" project brings together 740 Palestinian and Israeli youth through high-tech training and joint projects. The project allows participants to address the Israel-Palestinian conflict while developing intercultural communication skills and diverse, collaborative, innovative approaches to common challenges, including climate change. In this photo, a group of Palestinian and Israeli participants came together to study climate solutions in the Arava Desert.

These windmills on Qinghai Lake continuously convey energy to the whole of Qinghai region. The weather in Qinghai is very complex and changeable—there is a large diurnal temperature difference.

This photo shows Qinghai Lake in Haibei Zhou, Qinghai Province, China. Qinghai Lake is a well-known but well-protected natural tourist attraction. It was a balmy day. The sky was blue and the clouds were light. The surface of the lake, which is as clear as a mirror, was faintly waving and reflecting the whole sky.

Although Egypt grows nearly half of its own wheat supply, it is still the world’s largest importer of wheat. Currently, more than a third of Egypt’s wheat is lost due to outdated harvesting and handling processes, rot, rodents, and heat. For decades, USAID has provided sustained investment in Egypt’s agricultural sector that supports farmers in Upper Egypt and the Delta to improve their farm management. Through the Feed the Future Egypt Rural Agribusiness Strengthening project, USAID, in partnership with Abt Association, helps Egyptian farmers protect their wheat harvests by choosing the best methods for harvesting and storage. USAID supports farmers to grow marketable crops for export and address water security challenges. Ongoing efforts support climate-smart practices appropriate to smallholder farmers, such as improving soil health, diversifying crops to preserve productivity, and implementing modern irrigation methods that save water.