On Thursday, November 22^nd, 2018 Tropenbos International Suriname (TBI), finalized the 18-month project, ‘Participatory mapping, ecosystem service assessment, and resilience against climate change’. One of the grant facility projects of the Global Climate Change Alliance Suriname Adaptation+ Project which is financed by UNDP and the EU. Suriname also feels the effects of climate change. The dry seasons are much longer and hotter now than many years ago. Therefore, there is less water available for crops to grow as they should. The rainy seasons are shorter, but heavier. Flooding of agricultural lands happens more often and even in places where this did not occur before. These changes in the climate have negative effects on the production of agricultural crops especially in rural communities, as they depend on agriculture for their daily food and income.  

TBI worked together with government and non-governmental partners to train 14 people in the Samaaka village of Pikin Slee, on how to deal with these changes. Paula Doekoe, a trainee of the Saamaka village of Pikin Slee, plants crops such as rice, plantain, sweet potatoes and several vegetables. The voice of women like her, is important in rural areas. That’s why she is glad she’s learned new methods to use alongside the knowledge she already has. “We learned how to make compost and use it before planting.”

In this pilot training, the villagers also learned about intercropping, which is the planting of larger trees that provide shade and nutrition for smaller crops. This system helps those smaller crops to adapt and survive in a changing climate. The demonstration of this form of permanent agriculture will help these people maintain a fixed area of land they can use for many years, instead of the traditional plots that they use once every seven to ten years. “I see that these crops will grow better and produce more than those we planted before. I can share this information with others”, says Paula.

Only improving the production of crops is not enough. Knowledge on selling them in the city is important, as well. That is why the villagers received training in organization, cost price calculation and marketing of agricultural products. They were also supported to establish their own Agro Cooperation 'Hatti Wai ' U.A., to guide this process that will benefit the whole village. The results at Pikin Slee will be used as examples for other villages along the Upper side of Suriname River.