Farmers Building Resilience to Climate Change in The Gambia

For years, rice farmers in The Gambia harvested enough to feed their families year round. However, across the country, rice fields are dying as saltwater from the ocean is seeping into the soil because of rising sea levels and low rainfall. Both are linked to climate change.

Following severe drought in 2012, ActionAid launched through the Agroecology and Resilience project in The Gambia and Senegal to support farmers coping with climate change. In The Gambia, we supported 18 farming communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis and reached 4,000 farmers in just five years.

As part of the project, each community assessed the risks they faced from climate change and developed their own plan to address those risks, with women taking the lead. Communities are now experiencing improved food security, livelihoods and health through their participation in the project.