Surviving despite global climate change: Misereor

Misereor’s partner organisations provide help precisely where climate change has already had a massive impact on people’s lives. They offer protection and pave the way towards a secure future. Our local partner organisations know exactly what is needed and can bring about the necessary changes.

Mobile animal husbandry is adapted to the dry climate, but the challenges are becoming ever greater.

The drought is depriving the shepherds of their livelihood. Five rainy seasons with almost no rainfall is dramatic for the pastoralists.

IMPACT knows where wells are needed and thus helps people and animals.

A blessing and a curse at the same time: life in the Amazon harbours dangers, but also a livelihood.

Another source of income for the fishing families is the cultivation of açaí berries, but this is also under threat as a result of climate change.

This is what it looks like when the knowledge from the CPP workshops is put into practice: Vegetables from their own farm supplement this family's diet.

Climate change is threatening fish stocks and thus the livelihoods of all people who have lived from artisanal fishing for centuries.

A small garden can make all the difference: it provides families with healthy food and builds their resilience.

Girls and women pass on their knowledge about health, nutrition and disaster preparedness to entire village communities.

In safety training sessions, girls and boys practise what to do in an emergency and now know how to protect themselves and others if the worst happens. They take this knowledge back to their families and villages.

Traditional healers share their knowledge and regularly organise training sessions. Trained health workers make traditional healing knowledge accessible to the whole community.

Every year, floods, storms and extreme weather conditions threaten thousands of families in Bihar.

Sarita and her daughter Pratima are among the families who are learning to protect themselves against the effects of climate change.

In northern Kenya, people traditionally move from pasture to pasture with their livestock. However, climate change has now led to prolonged droughts. After five rainy seasons with almost no rainfall, people have lost between 60 and 90 per cent of their livestock. Where pastureland and water are in short supply, conflicts arise over these vital resources. Our partner organisation, the ‘Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation’ (IMPACT), supports herding communities in making better use of their pastures: through collective organisation and effective coordination. In this way, everyone benefits from the rain. Large areas have been divided up: one plot can recover whilst the livestock graze on the others. And to alleviate the water shortage, the project is also providing new wells.

Indigenous communities living on the banks of the rivers in the Brazilian state of Pará are also struggling with the consequences of climate change: the air and water are heating up, and fish are dying in the river branches. People no longer know exactly which fish spawn when, and in their desperation they are fishing even during closed seasons. The cultivation of açaí berries is actually intended to help them get through lean periods, but due to the droughts, the berries are drying up before they can be harvested. Misereor’s partner, the ‘Conselho Pastoral dos Pescadores’ (CPP), is working with local people to develop new prospects. As a result, the CPP has been able to initiate agreements that protect the fishing grounds. Whilst fish stocks recover between November and March, families receive state compensation – the CPP helps them with the application process. The partner organisation also encourages the development of fish ponds, poultry farming and vegetable cultivation. In this way, the next generation too has a future by the river.

In the Indian state of Bihar, on the other hand, people are increasingly suffering from too much rainfall. Floods and droughts, severe thunderstorms, heat and cold waves alternate in rapid succession, and earthquakes occur as well. But those who live in this poverty-stricken region often do not even have access to the most basic medical care.

Misereor's partner Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh (GPSVS) has already achieved a great deal here. The team is setting up basic healthcare systems in remote rural communities. GPSVS has also improved security in the communities. To this end, the Misereor partner has developed an early warning system based on weather forecasts together with the local civil protection organisation. This gives people enough time to bring their belongings and themselves to safety. Because prudence saves lives in an emergency, the team shows children and teachers in Bihar how they can protect themselves and others - for example with homemade life jackets made from empty plastic bottles.

Climate change threatens people on all continents and in many different ways. Please help to limit the impact on people with your donation!

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For example, 20 euros can cover the cost of grass seed for five sowings.

When making a donation by bank transfer, please quote the reference ‘S63020 Surviving Climate Change – Worldwide’ in the payment reference field. This lets us know which project is particularly close to your heart; your contribution will be channelled as a general donation towards this work and Misereor’s overall global mission.

To ensure that your donation has an impact in the long term, Misereor uses a small proportion for important administration an related tasks. This way, we make sure that projects are selected carefully and implemented responsibly and that their effects are regularly monitored. Should it not be possible to use your donation as planned, we will use it where it is currently needed most.