CLIMATE RESILIENCE

WHY CLIMATE RESILIENCE?

No country or community is immune to the impacts of climate change, but those whose livelihoods are dependent on farming, forests, and fishing are especially vulnerable.  Smallholder farmers in low-income countries contribute very little to greenhouse gas emissions, but are the ones most affected by the impacts of climate change – including extreme weather events, changing rainfall patterns, and prolonged periods of drought – due to their dependence on rain-fed farming, marginal lands, and lack of access to technical support. In turn, decreased food production and income exacerbate poverty and inequality. A recent World Bank report further estimates that up to 135 million people could be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to climate change, and 700 million could be at risk of displacement from drought. While there is a critical need to mitigate the drivers of climate change, there is also an urgent need to support vulnerable farmers to adapt their livelihoods and agricultural practices, and to grow in their resilience to climate shocks.

DID YOU KNOW?

• 3.3 to 3.6 billion people live in countries with high vulnerability to climate change
• By 2030, an estimated 700 million people will be at risk of displacement from drought
• More than 20 million people migrate to new areas within their countries each year as a result of droughts, floods, storms, and rising sea levels
• If the global temperature rises by two degrees celcius, an additional 189 million people would face hunger

OUR RESPONSE

One Day’s Wages comes alongside grassroots partners that support low-income communities experiencing the effects of climate change to adopt climate-smart farming methods, diversify livelihoods, and mitigate environmental damage.  Since 2009, we have supported 15 climate resilience projects in under-resourced communities, impacting over 10,600 people.  Through our partnerships, Agness now has a flourishing small business selling smokeless stoves that cook food without firewood, and Maria mobilized her Kaqchikel Mayan neighbors to reforest their community with over 25,000 trees!