Saffron production in Kashmir is at an all-time low. In the push and pull between traditional practices and modern methods endorsed by the government, Kashmir’s most coveted crop is losing out to climate change and unplanned urban development.
Shepherds and their flocks are integral to the history of European culture and ecology. Now, a new generation of pastoralists – from migrants escaping underpaid care work, to science graduates looking for tangible ways to protect the planet – are rewriting patriarchal traditions to preserve it for the future.
Microfinance loans were meant to offer a pathway out of poverty in countries like Nigeria, particularly for women. But as climate change makes weather patterns more unpredictable, the risk of falling into further debt falls onto the shoulders of women farmers who face not just erratic farming conditions but social stigma from default.
Arrests of high-profile campaigns suggest that even those working on government-approved green initiatives with international backing aren’t safe from Vietnam’s crackdown on environmental activism. But some warn that staying below the radar can be even more dangerous.
Thanks to the city’s efforts toward climate adaptation and decades-old engineering works, Rotterdam does not have to worry about climate change until the end of the century. Yet, as the city develops, any mistake in flood defence planning becomes more costly.
The challenges faced in Clontarf in Dublin are likely to be mirrored across Ireland in the coming years, as coastal communities and the state grapple with how to protect against flood risk, while also preserving much-loved environments.
For thousands of years, cultural hub Alexandria, Egypt has been at a geographical crossroads that puts it at risk from earthquakes and extreme weather events. Now, with massive real estate ventures underway, researchers say the government should look to the city’s past in preparation for the future.
Lagos, Nigeria is positioned to become West Africa’s economic hub for the 21st century. But boundless economic and physical growth at the expense of protective wetlands puts the entire city at risk of climate disaster.
Solutions addressing air pollution have a disturbing common denominator: they can be exclusionary. Without the important recognition of how class and race intersect with health vulnerabilities, steps to save lives run the risk of being discriminatory.
Curiosity and wonder are good anecdotes against fear.
