India

Communities in the central Indian state of Maharashtra depend on the natural resources of forests and ponds to survive. But these resources are increasingly threatened by climate change and poor natural resource management. A SWISSAID project has been working on resource reclamation by and for communities in central India.

The Baiga tribe is a community living in central India. The loss of forest areas – their main resource for centuries – as well as the climate crisis, has made them very vulnerable. In recent years, learning agroecology has allowed them to develop new means of survival in harmony with nature and adapted to climate change.

The food report published by the Sufosec Alliance on the occasion of World Food Day on 16 October 2022 shows shocking results. It highlights the dramatic increase in hunger in the world with figures and testimonies from those affected in the South. But it also gives hope and shows a way out of the hunger crisis. For example, with agroecology.

15.11.2021 | Farm-saved seeds are diverse and well adapted to local conditions – they also form the basis for healthy yet affordable nutrition. Therefore, it fulfils all the requirements for making local food systems more independent and resilient. Especially in the context of the ongoing pandemic and the global climate crisis, this sows hope.

30.4.21 Not long ago, the Corona situation in India seemed under control. In February 2021, India’s government declared that it had defeated the pandemic. Now the situation is worse than ever. SWISSAID is following the situation with great concern. Kavita Ghandi, Head of the SWISSAID office, tells us what the situation is like on the ground and what impact the pandemic is having on our projects. – translated with DeepL

India keeps on setting grim records in the fight against the coronavirus. And as if that were not enough, the country is repeatedly hit by natural disasters. People who are already living at  subsistence level are fighting for survival. SWISSAID has responded by providing emergency aid.

As a foundation for development cooperation, SWISSAID is also heavily affected by the corona virus. Faced with the crisis, each employee and each project had to reinvent themselves and often work in a hurry. On this page, you will find news from our partner countries for the months of March and April. –Translated with DeepL

25.03.2020 | The global corona crisis does not affect everyone equally. Some people are much more economically and socially affected than others. Women, who are often victims of domestic violence as well as being the sole earners of their families and in precarious employment, are especially under pressure.

A life without violence – a pipe dream for many Indian wives. Young people in the Marathwada region are being sensitised through targeted campaigns so that the dream can finally become reality for as many girls and women as possible.

Despite a large-scale school dinner programme, many school children in India suffer from vitamin and iron deficiency. In school gardens they grow the vital crops themselves and so learn about agroecological farming.

Farmers in Marathwada, India, are suffering from the drought – yet again. SWISSAID is supplying the poorest with water and food rations. For the moment, thanks to this and to our awareness-raising work with the authorities, hundreds of women can breathe a sigh of relief. But the climate crisis calls for long-term solutions.