Blogs Label: Stories from the field

Rooftop organic farming

Stories from the field Author: Sudipto Das

It's a patch of green, a wondrous vegetable garden that has sprung up at a height of about 50 feet on the fast-expanding concrete maze of neighbouring New Town in Kolkata, the eastern state of India. A team of five farming experts who run a social service platform in Birbhum district in the eastern state of West Bengal has been working tirelessly to grow more than 35 kinds of organic vegetables on the concrete terrace. Experienced in urban farming in Mexico, Gomez looks after the rooftop vegetable garden. He believes terrace farms can change the micro-climate of neighbourhoods in Kolkata.

The link between mangrove ecosystem services and increased coastal urban resilience: The case of Semarang, Indonesia

Stories from the field Author: Kaitlin B. Harris, Nyoman Prayoga

Ecosystem services play a crucial role in maintaining human well-being and provide a plethora of goods and services to communities around the world. As mentioned by ISET-International1 (2013), ecosystems provide the basic foundational needs such as water, air, food, as well as some more advanced needs such as coastal defense, and water absorption capacity.

Kok Noi River: from being a dump to being productive land

Stories from the field Author: Porpla Khuan-arch

In the past, the way of life of Thai people has been to live near the water, whether it was in rivers, canals, lakes, ponds or various other water sources. And rivers in Thailand were used in so many ways: water for consumption, as sources of food, for transportation, recreation, and in many more ways. As time passed, water resources and rivers changed both naturally and as a result of human activity. The main transportation routes have moved from rivers to roads.

Urban resilience in a land of flood and drought, a tale of three cities: Chennai, Indore & Surat

Stories from the field Author: Will Bugler

India has a tempestuous relationship with water. The seasonal monsoon winds drive dramatic changes to the country’s weather systems, blowing in wet weather from the south-west, or dry from the north-east. The rainfall brought by these weather systems does not fall uniformly across the country, with some areas suffering intense droughts, while others experience severe floods. The dualism of overabundance and scarcity of water presents huge challenges for the country’s growing urban population, whose health, homes and livelihoods are increasingly threatened by India’s water woes.

Underdog Resilience

Stories from the field Author: Sarath Kt

Sava Bhai, is a 70 year old rag picker from the city of Ahmedabad, India. He picks out garbage thrown to the Sabarmati River and nearby areas and sells the recyclable materials for a living. He is a living proof that even the poorest of the poor can contribute to the protection of earth. Find out about his story through series of black and white images.