Partner: Regions4 (Race to Resilience Partner)
Implementer: Assam State, India; Louga, Senegal; Pernambuco, Brazil
Country and Region: India (Assam State), Senegal (Louga), Brazil (Pernambuco)
SAA Impact System: Climate resilience and adaptation
Impact/Beneficiaries: Assam: 63,441 people across 43 vulnerable villages. Louga: 200 jobs for young people and a population of 357,246 residents. Pernambuco: a population of 9 million people.
In the rural villages of Assam, India, where erratic weather and flooding are reshaping rural life, local communities are coming together to safeguard their futures. In the arid lands of Louga, Senegal, young farmers are embracing regenerative agriculture, creating jobs and stability in the face of climate challenges. Along the coastline of Pernambuco, Brazil, efforts are underway to protect fragile ecosystems and defend coastal towns from rising sea levels. These regions, with their unique challenges, are stepping up their resilience efforts, finding innovative ways to protect their people and land.
To solidify their commitment to building resilience, Assam, Louga and Pernambuco have joined Race to Resilience partner, RegionsAdapt – led by Regions4. Member regions will have greater support in assessing climate vulnerabilities, planning responses, acting on building resilience, and reporting their progress to the global community
“Subnational governments including states, regions, and provinces are taking decisive action to combat the climate crisis and halt biodiversity loss. We are We are thrilled to welcome three new regions to our Race to Resilience campaign: Assam State in India, Louga in Senegal, Pernambuco in Brazil, through our partner initiative RegionsAdapt. This expansion brings the number of signatory regions committed to enhancing the resilience of their communities to 75 regions and a total of 81 members. Together, we can accelerate the urgent actions needed to protect people and nature and build a resilient, net zero future,” said H.E Razan Al Mubarak and Nigar Arapdarai, UN Climate Change High-Level Champions for COP28 and COP29.
Assam’s climate resilient fellowship programme
Assam, India, stands at the frontline of climate change, experiencing rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events like floods and droughts. Between 1990 and 2019, the state’s mean maximum temperature increased by 0.049°C annually, while rainfall exhibited a concerning decline. These climate shifts have triggered devastating flash floods, soil erosion, reduced agricultural productivity, and dwindling water resources, directly threatening the livelihoods of Assam’s rural population, 86% of whom rely on agriculture.
Worsening these environmental challenges, Assam is home to some of India’s most climate-vulnerable districts. Of the 25 most at-risk districts in India, 15 are in Assam. Key drivers of this vulnerability include limited crop insurance, rainfed agriculture, insufficient healthcare access, and high poverty rates, all of which heighten the region’s climate risks and make building resilience more difficult.
In response, the Assam government launched the Chief Minister’s Climate Resilient Village Fellowship Programme (CMCRVF) in 2022. This forward-thinking initiative engages post-graduate science and engineering students to implement climate-resilient solutions in 100 villages, targeting Assam’s most pressing climate challenges at the grassroots level.
The programme is focused on boosting the adaptive capacity of highly vulnerable villages. By developing tailored, village-specific action plans, CMCRVF tackles the root causes of vulnerability, such as weak infrastructure and limited access to resources. Importantly, the programme empowers communities to play an active role in decision-making, while the involvement of youth injects fresh ideas and innovative approaches to climate resilience, creating the next generation of climate leaders.
Louga’s “mini farm” project
In Louga, home to 357,246 residents, the effects of climate change are increasingly severe, with rising temperatures being particularly noticeable. To address these challenges while supporting local entrepreneurship and the development of agro pastoral sectors, a rural mini farm project has been launched. This initiative aims not only to create jobs for young people, who face underemployment and are often tempted by migration, but also to transform abstract concepts about climate change into concrete and visible realities.
The project was first tested in four communes, where one-hectare agro pastoral mini farms were established as a pilot. These farms include areas dedicated to improved traditional poultry farming, cattle and sheep fattening, as well as market gardening. The goal is to raise awareness among local populations about the consequences of climate change while actively working on biodiversity. Local communities are also encouraged to share adaptation strategies and to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship and mutual support.
The project’s objectives are clear: to promote income-generating activities, particularly in the agro pastoral sector, and thereby create jobs for young people, reducing their desire to leave the region. By strengthening young people’s skills in agriculture and livestock farming, the project aims not only to stabilize their economic situation but also to attract partners to support the development of the locality.
The expected outcomes of this project are ambitious. In addition to reaping the benefits of biodiversity, the project seeks to reduce rural exodus and clandestine emigration while creating viable and sustainable economic activities for local families. By creating jobs for 200 young people, the project aims to become a replicable model in the 17 communes of the department, offering a simple, cost-effective, yet highly efficient adaptation strategy.
This rural mini farm project demonstrates how a local initiative can provide concrete solutions to global challenges while strengthening the economic and social fabric of the community, and if extended the potential they could yield in terms of protecting the environment wilts providing economic benefits for local populations.
Pernambuco’s coastal restoration and inland resilience projects
As climate change alters temperatures and rainfall across Brazil, Pernambuco is stepping up to protect its people and environment. With challenges like worsening droughts in the semi-arid region and rising sea levels along the coast, the state is focusing on building resilience and safeguarding its future.
On the coast, Pernambuco is taking action to defend against sea-level rise. This includes beach restoration in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, creating a Coastal Vulnerability Atlas, and launching the Orla Project to ensure sustainable land use and protect natural resources. The state is also supporting artisanal fishing and setting up marine conservation areas to preserve biodiversity.
In the semi-arid interior, where desertification is a growing threat, Pernambuco is promoting sustainable farming practices to help communities adapt. Projects like water collection systems and energy-efficient stoves are making daily life easier and more resilient to climate impacts. The state is also working with local universities to use advanced tools that monitor rain patterns, land use, and carbon emissions, helping guide smart decisions for the future.
Main image: Recife from the air / guilherme jofili
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