Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet

Bushfires 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 S...

When 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 b...

A 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 i...

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 Ra...

How mangrove rehabilitation can save a community’s future What 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 importan...

After 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...

When 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 we...

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...

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.  Thes...