Shows
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetHow banning wildfires sparked (and ended) a conflict in GhanaBushfires are both a way of life, and threaten the way of life, in communities in northern Ghana. But one community, Shelanyili, made a bold change: they banned bushfires outright. The consequences of that ban ranged beyond their community, sparking conflicts, and forcing both themselves and their neighbours to reckon with what it means to change your lives to adapt to climate change. Meet Baba Salifu, a community elder who has watched the impacts climate change have made on his community and Ayi Abdulai, a farmer who has had to protect her community from bushfires and the p...2024-05-1619 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetFive trees for every child: Why this community is planting trees for the next generationWhen Morungatuny in Uganda realized the essential need to start replanting trees in the face of their ever-depleting forests, they realized something stunning: not only was nature becoming healthier, but the trees were reducing gender-based violence and improving the community as a whole. Trees are the looming lifelines of our planet, and their roots run deep in rural Uganda. But in Morungatuny burning them for charcoal was the main economic driver of the economy. And trees were needed for firewood for cooking and building. The rates of consumption soon outpaced the availability of trees. This re...2024-05-0234 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetTaking the classroom outside: How nature is teaching valuable lessons in UgandaA 100-year-old mango tree grows in the heart of Kikandwa, Uganda. But not long ago, the community considered cutting it down for charcoal. Instead, everyone from school children to elders have been part of a community environmental effort. John Kaganga founded the Kikandwa Environmental Association in memory of his grandfather, who would walk hundreds of kilometers for seeds to plant trees. But it’s taken community members like Vincent Lutalo to make John’s dream of a green future a reality. Vincent teaches at the community school, where children are not only taught their letters, but how to gr...2024-04-1828 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetWhat are Nature-based Solutions?What are Nature-based Solutions actually? We talk alot about them on Nature Answers, but what makes a Nature-based Solution a nature-based solution? What does it mean to have both human and ecological benefits? And why are they so important anyways? These are the questions we answer in Episode 5 of Nature Answers. Instead of a documentary episode, this week we sit down with Sareme Gebre, Farm Radio International's Nature-based Solutions Advisor. For more about Nature-based Solutions visit the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) website at https://www.iucn.org/our-work/nature-based-solutions.For mo...2024-04-0411 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetHow mangrove rehabilitation can save a community’s futureHow mangrove rehabilitation can save a community’s futureWhat can you do when the resources that pay you stop growing back? That’s the question asked by residents in Agbledomi, a coastal community in the Volta region of Ghana. Mangroves are environmental heavy hitters – they sequester carbon, prevent coastal erosion and contribute to biodiversity in intertidal areas. But they’re also an important part of the community’s economy after the construction of the Akosombo dam reduced fish populations. And overharvesting is threatening them. But a Community Resource Management Area model led by community members lik...2024-03-2127 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetWhat can fish do to drive recovery after a civil warAfter years of civil war and the challenges of restoring their environment, this community has found an innovative solution—a sustainable fish farm. Meet Betty Achen and Dennis Obote, two community members whose work, land and passion have turned fish into a future.In this episode, we visit Balwalwa, a community in the Artwotngo Parish in Northern Uganda. We hear into what it takes to establish a sustainable fish farm, the setbacks faced due to drought and market access, and the unexpected return of nature's predators. Through it all, the community remains hopeful and determined, using their le...2024-03-0731 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetHow can mangoes grow economies and limit wind damageWhen wind blew off roofs in Gagbiri in northern Ghana, the community made what turned out to be a fruitful choice: they planted mango trees! Discover how the community planted over a thousand trees, growing windbreaks and economic empowerment. Learn how women played a pivotal role, breaking cultural barriers and contributing to the project's success – and reaping the rewards of its progress as well. The thriving mango plantation not only shields homes but transforms lives, boosting income, funding education, and even addressing healthcare challenges. Gagbiri's story exemplifies the resilience of nature-based solutions to climate change and...2024-02-2216 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetWhat do trees have to do with rain?Inconsistent rainfall and a lack of reliable water are no small challenge for rural farmers, but two innovative communities in Ghana have found creative solutions to their water issues. The thing they both have in common? Trees! Join us in the surprisingly green landscape of Mem, where we learn about the community’s unique approach to securing rainfall—planting teak trees. Teak trees, with their towering canopies and ability to absorb carbon dioxide, have become a vital part of the community's strategy to combat heatwaves and unreliable rains. Yaw Donko, a local resident, takes us back to the b...2024-02-0820 min
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetIntroducing ‘Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet’Facing down climate change seems like an enormous task. But some of the most rural and remote communities on earth are up for the challenge – and using lessons learned from nature to do it. In Nature Answers, you’ll hear stories of individuals who have come together in the face of a changing planet and learn from the rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa who are turning to nature to adapt. These are the stories of people looking to nature, about how to save nature. Hear the hopeful side of climate change. And learn from the people...2024-01-2201 min