On a blistering afternoon in Kendrapara, a coastal district in Odisha, India, Debjani Mandal stands amid the swaying green of her paddy fields, inspecting the soil with practised hands. The 34-year-old farmer, undeterred by the unrelenting summer heat, surveys the land that once seemed to work against her — parched one season, waterlogged the next.

Not too long ago, Debjani’s farm was struggling. The monsoons had grown erratic, and the once-fertile fields had begun to yield less and less, forcing many farmers into deeper debt. But then she heard about the system of rice intensification through a government-backed climate resilience project. The promise was tantalizing: more yield with less water and fewer chemicals. Still, the idea of changing traditional methods, ones that had been passed down for generations, seemed daunting.

“At first, it was hard to convince others,” she recalls. “But once they saw my crops thrive, they started listening.” Soon, she wasn’t just tending her own fields — she was leading entire groups of farmers in her community, showing them how to cultivate rice in ways that worked with, rather than against, nature. She rolled up her sleeves, worked alongside them, and little by little, trust grew.

Leading the fight against climate change

A hundred miles away, in the flood-prone district of Balasore, Jyotshna Rani Pradhan was waging her own battle against the shifting climate. A housewife and mother of two, she had never considered herself an environmentalist, until rising flood waters started encroaching on her home. Floods were no longer just seasonal inconveniences; they were existential threats. When she learned about Debjani and the growing network of ‘Climate Champions’ — women pioneering adaptive farming and community-driven resilience—she knew she had to be part of it.

With determination, Jyotshna began organizing meetings in her village, introducing farmers to techniques that could withstand the region’s increasingly erratic weather patterns. She encouraged resource-sharing and collective action, navigating the deep scepticism that often met new ideas. But she persisted. “People listen when they see change with their own eyes,” she says. And soon, they did.

A quiet revolution in Odisha’s coastal villages

The success of women like Debjani and Jyotshna has sparked a quiet revolution across Odisha’s coastal villages. Once overlooked in matters of farming and finance, women have become architects of resilience, proving that sustainable solutions uplift both the land and its people. Their efforts have not only boosted crop yields and household incomes but have also strengthened community ties, turning isolated efforts into a collective movement.

Odisha, with its low-lying coastlines and vulnerable ecosystems, is on the frontlines of climate change. Rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion threaten not just farmland but entire livelihoods. Women, traditionally responsible for both household and agricultural work, bear the brunt of these challenges. But rather than retreating, they are taking charge.

With support from the Government of India, the Green Climate Fund and UNDP, over 300 women across Odisha have been trained as Climate Champions. They learn sustainable agriculture, organic seed treatment and pest management. They also restore mangrove forests—natural shields against storm surges—and how to guide their communities through disaster preparedness. 

Their training was especially visible when Cyclone Dana swept through the Puri coast. Armed with knowledge, these women helped their villages brace for the storm, reducing damage and saving lives.

Beyond farming: Building stronger communities

Debjani and Jyotshna’s work extends far beyond agriculture. They connect families to government schemes, promote eco-friendly practices, and mentor the next generation, running awareness programmes for local youth. By collaborating with self-help groups and community federations, they ensure that these initiatives don’t just survive but thrive.
For Debjani, this transformation is deeply personal. 

“I hardly went out before,” she says. “But now, I engage in meaningful conversations where people listen and seek my advice. The confidence and independence I’ve gained — I want my sisters to experience it too.” 

The women of her village have taken notice. They no longer see climate change as an abstract threat, but as a challenge they can tackle with knowledge, unity, and determination.

Recognition and the road ahead 

Their impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. Local newspapers highlight their efforts, social media amplifies their work, and government officials invite them to policy discussions. Jyotshna, ever the pragmatist, envisages of a uniform for the Climate Champions—a symbol of their collective identity and a badge of honour for the women shaping Odisha’s future.

For some, the work is a means of survival. Kanchan, a fellow Climate Champion, supports her family through climate-resilient farming after her husband was left disabled by a stroke. Yet, for many, the work transcends financial incentives. “Even if I wasn’t paid, I would still do this,” Debjani says. “Because now, when I look around, I see change.”
 
The true impact of these women isn’t just in the crops that flourish or the mangroves that stand tall against the tide. It’s in the quiet conversations at community meetings, in the hands that reach out to help neighbours, in the young girls who see their mothers as leaders. 

These climate champions are not just adapting to climate change—they are driving real solutions that strengthen their farms, their communities, and their future.
 
Led by India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the ‘Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities’ (2019-2027) project aims to enhance the resilience of the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations particularly women, in the coastal areas of India, to climate change and extreme events, using an ecosystem-centred and community-based approach. The target three coastal project states are Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. For more information, visit https://ecricc.org/