When crop-destroying insects known as ‘soldiers’ appeared in Bujumbura, Burundi, they struck fear into the hearts of its residents, 95 percent of whom rely on subsistence farming.

Chemical insect control had no effect on the infestation, and with nothing to stop them, the ‘soldiers’ rampaged freely on their deadly campaign.

In Zambia, a country that struggles with very high levels of unemployment amongst young people, the Indigenous Young Emerging Farmers Initiative (YEFI) is providing opportunities in sustainable agriculture.

Zambia has also suffered from declining food yields in recent years and soil health has been rapidly declining. More than 100,000 trees are cut down every year. 

“Over the past decades, the food system has not been performing well with farmers continuing to suffer majority being under the poverty line. Production and productivity has been very poor among small-scale farmers who use a lot of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers,” says YEFI co-founder Richard Kachungu.

Pollution and climate change are slowly killing Bolivia’s Lake Uru Uru. Every minute sees mining waste and garbage dumped into the lake, as well as sewage from the city of Oruro.

This lake is the home of an Indigenous community and one of the most important wetlands in the world.

To rescue it, the Indigenous community has taken to the water. They have built rafts and embarked on a journey that applies Indigenous knowledge with scientific principles.

The rafts are made of recycled materials collected from the rubbish thrown away around the lake. Host and native plants such as totora and chijway are being fostered to absorb heavy metals.

The team has also planted a community garden to feed themselves. They are determined through their efforts not to become climate refugees, as has happened to others.

“Similar cases occurred in our region, and communities have lost their source of survival and are forced to become climate refugees. It brings many problems, such as economic limitations, loss of cultural identity, early forced marriages, etc. This tends to affect our sisters in the community more. However, with the project, sisters are leading the way and teaching us the best management skills for the entire community,” Gabriela Tronconi, Head of AJMUN Oruro says.

The Instituto Zág was awarded for its work bringing the sacred Zág tree (Araucária angustifolia), back from the brink of extinction. Before they began their ambitious reforestation programme, the Zág had dwindled to only two percent of its original area. 

The Zág has been part of the cosmovision of the Xokleng people of southern Brazil for thousands of years. Besides providing nutritious food for humans and animals, it also has spiritual, ancestral, medicinal, therapeutic and hygiene value for Indigenous women.