Climatelinks Photo Gallery

The world needs more trees. In a recent study published in the journal Science, researchers at ETH Zurich concluded that the planet could support nearly 2.5 billion additional acres of forest without shrinking our cities and farms. Those additional trees could store 200 gigatons of carbon. Within the framework of the “Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets” financed by USAID and implemented by Rainforest Alliance in Mexico, we strengthen resilient, sustainable farm and forestland management of coffee producers in Chiapas. One of the main goals with our partner Olam is to reforest 4,000 hectares around coffee farms in Chiapas in order to preserve the region’s natural resources and strengthen the forestal management in coffee producers. Monte Sinai, Chiapas, 2019. Project: The Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets

Monte Sinai, Chiapas, 2019.
Project: The Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets

Within the framework of the “Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets” financed by USAID and implemented by Rainforest Alliance in Mexico we strengthen resilient, sustainable farm and forestland management of coffee producers in Chiapas.

The diversification of crops in coffee landscapes is essential to transform agricultural practices towards a more sustainable future. Not only do fruit trees in coffee crops give shadow, protection and nurture to coffee plants, making them more resilient to funguses and diseases but they also help in the food security of rural communities and in the sustainability of coffee in Mexico.

In Alliance with Olam, we are working with 200 coffee producers in the restoration of their landscapes. We are restoring and reforesting 1, 000 degraded hectares of coffee crops that were devastated by the coffee rust commonly called “Roya” in Mexico.

Place: Oaxaca
2019

Project: The Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets

The alliance for sustainable landscapes and markets integrates communities, producers, markets and consumers, in order to make impactful changes that attend environmental and social issues.

We link sustainable producers with responsible markets that care about bringing to the final consumer quality products that don’t deforest or degrade forests, generating the capture and storage of CO2 and improving the livelihoods of the forest’s inhabitants in Mexico.

We are working with coffee producers in Oaxaca and Chiapas to strengthen their capacities in climate smart agriculture. Also we are working to increase their profitability and the competitiveness in the market by strengthening the producers entrepreneurial capacities, promoting the inclusion of women and young generations in the value chains.

San Agustín Loxicha, Oaxaca, Mexico. 2019.

Project: Alliance for sustainable landscapes and markets

In the alliance for sustainable landscapes and markets, supported by USAID and implemented by Rainforest Alliance in Mexico, we are working with coffee producers in Oaxaca and Chiapas to reforest and restore their landscapes.

The State Coordinator of Coffee Producers in Oaxaca (CEPCO) is one of our partners in the alliance. With them, we seek to generate resilient practices that overcome extreme weather and shocks by introducing new coffee species and planting multi species gardens, in order to create a more competitive product for the global market.

With climate smart agriculture implementation, coffee producers are able to strengthen their practices and restore their landscapes by planting more trees to give shadow and nurture their crops and protecting all the biodiversity that the forest inhabit like this beautiful cheeky kinkajou (Potos flavus) in Oaxaca.

This common sighting in the rivers of the Peruvian Amazon portrays a "buoyer," a person whose job consists of untying the logs that have floated to the bank of the river-like buoys from the forest concessions, a journey that usually takes over 24 hours. Nearly 40% of the Amazonian population in Peru rely economically on the timber value chain-including over 250,000 families, mostly of indigenous descent- which presents a unique opportunity to draw increased attention to the challenges and opportunities the forest sector faces nationwide. The Pro-Bosques Activity aims to capitalize on timber harvesting by promoting sustainable forest management in Peru, strengthening forest governance with innovative forest control and monitoring tools, while promoting private sector engagement and indigenous participation in forest value chains.

Soko Koryon, Forest Inventory Coordinator for the USAID Forest Incomes for Environmental Sustainability (FIFES) Activity, describes the methodology used to implement a transect of the Barconnie Community Forest in Grand Bassa County, Liberia as a student from the Liberia Forestry Training Institute looks on. The 600 hectare forest, largely made up of carbon-rich mangrove swamp, was conserved in perpetuity by the local Community Forest Management Body after they conducted a forest and biodiversity inventory supported by the FIFES activity in March 2019.

In this photo, a stream nourishes a diverse array of water lilies and vines in the Barconnie Community Forest, Grand Bassa County, Liberia. Despite wide-spread pressure by private logging companies to harvest timber from Liberia's community forests, the Barconnie Community Forest Management Body recognized the potential of the forest to support scientific research, given its close proximity to Liberia's capital city, Monrovia, and the presence of native forest buffalo and other wildlife and plants of conservation value. The 600 hectare forest, largely made up of carbon-rich mangrove swamp, was conserved in perpetuity by the local CFMB after they conducted a forest and biodiversity inventory supported by the USAID Forest Incomes for Environmental Sustainability Activity in March 2019.

Women of the Laisamis Manyata village in Marsabit county in Kenya discuss climate variability, community vulnerability, and adaptation mechanisms in their community during an assessment exercise in the Northern Kenya Rangelands in 2018.

This photo was captured in Biliqo-Bulesa Community of Isiolo County in Kenya during a field assessment of community vulnerability and adaptation to climate variability in 2018. The Acacia tree under which they shelter at peak sun hours drop highly nutritious seed pods that the animals eat before they embark on grazing in the late afternoon or evening when the sun goes down.

Men of Merille Manyata village in Marsabit County in Kenya map their community resources as they discuss Climate variability, community vulnerability, its impact and adaptation mechanisms in their Melako community Conservancy during an assessment exercise in the Northern Kenya Rangelands in 2018.

Mirarisoa village, Haute Matsiatra Region in Central Madagascar. April 9, 2019.

The acacia tree is highly recommended for reforestation because of its rapid growth. It is possible to obtain an acacia forest within five years after planting. The ASOTRY project chose this type of tree for its reforestation activity because it nourishes the soil by fixing nitrogen and restoring fertility benefits, and because it retains water. Marie, a nursery agent, planted 5,500 seedlings of acacia on her family's land.

Ambinanindovoka, Haute Matsiatra Region, Central Madagascar. March 21, 2018.

Rajomalahy François Jammuel, his wife Marie Solange, and their son with homestead gardens. The ASOTRY project teaches households to set up homestead garden, in order to provide them with a sustainable solution to food insecurity. These gardens are grown with organic pest control and composting techniques.

ASOTRY Project (funded by USAID/FFP).
Adventist Development and Relief Agency.

This group of beneficiaries from Andoharano nord village, South-Betioky, south of Madagascar, is seen in August 16, 2018, at a water point provided by the the ASOTRY project, funded by USAID/FFP. Access to safe water is a challenge in this region affected by the impacts of climate change. ASOTRY rehabilitates, builds or secures water points to provide the community with sustainable source of safe water.

The members of a local Disaster and Risk Management committee in Belamboa bas Village, South-West region of Madagascar, in April 02, 2019, planting cactus seedlings.

This region is Madagascar is hit by a chronic drought, that causes severe food insecurity among the community and their cattle. When the local Disaster and Risk Management Committee received support from ASOTRY project, funded by USAID/FFP, to implement a disaster management plan, they decided to plant cactus on a 4 hectares field, as a coping measure to food shortage for the cattle. Cactus is known to be resilient to hot and dry climates.

Jean Bruno, nursery agent, and his wife on April 12, 2019. Sahambavy, Fianarantsoa, Centra Madagascar on their tree nursery.

The ASOTRY project, implemented by ADRA and funded by USAID/FFP, restores forests through reforestation activity. It contributes to mitigating global warming by soaking up greenhouse gas emission. In Madagascar where bush fire and slash hand-burn agriculture are a common practice, reforestation is crucial.

USAID Adaptasi Perubahan Iklim dan Ketangguhan (USAID APIK) conducted a participatory climate vulnerability and risk assessment in 2017, noting that tidal wave has occurred repeatedly in Segoro Tambak Village, Sidoarjo District, East Java Province, Indonesia and affected a community that is 80% dependent on fisheries. The wave gushed over embankments and flooded houses and roads in the village, causing livelihood and infrastructure damage.
USAID APIK and community members pursued a collaboration with the Marine and Fisheries Polytechnic of Sidoarjo to apply a silvofishery method. Silvofishery is a sustainable fishery technique that promotes conservation through mangroves cultivation alongside embankments.
"I never realized that mangrove has many advantages. I realized that it will take a couple of years before the tree is fully-grown, but I am sure it will be worth it,” said Kodro, a fish farmer in Segoro Tambak. Mangroves are renowned as an important component of climate adaptation and mitigation due to its carbon storage capacities and ability to protect terrain from sea-level rises. Therefore, silvofishery is a suitable adaptation strategy for Segoro Tambak, as it will help strengthen the community’s resilience by ensuring the sustainability of the village’s livelihood source and environment.

Photo Date: June 6, 2018