Posts Tagged ‘Climate Change’
How Climate Change is Impacting Health and Nutrition in Rwanda
Poor communities are often on the frontlines of battling climate change. Many depend on climate-related industries like farming for food and livelihoods, and when climate disasters strike â whether flooding, drought, violent storms or extreme temperatures â thereâs little economic margin to rebuild and adapt.
While the economic effects of climate instability are severe among poor communities, the negative repercussions donât stop there. Climate change and adverse weather events also have a cascading, detrimental impact on health as communities experiencing poverty are at greater risk of disease, injuries and hunger.
The Struggle to Provide
Weâve seen the impacts of climate change on health first-hand in places like Bambiro village in Rwanda, where rising temperatures, extended dry seasons and heavier, less predictable rainy seasons have taken their toll on couples like Epiphanie and Jeremy.
As the water sources they had historically relied on shrank and became dirtier with each dry season, the farming couple could no longer earn a living by growing and selling crops as their elders had. In order to get by and afford food for their children, Epiphanie and Jeremy picked up odd jobs. They washed clothes and made mud bricks to buy potatoes, cornmeal and beans.
Although they wished to provide better, more diverse foods for their children, it seemed impossible. Animal proteins like eggs, fish, meat or milk were too expensive. In fact, when Jeremy was first asked whether he could buy these for his family, he laughed, saying, âI guess you are joking! Where can we get money to buy animal sources of food? Those are reserved for rich people.â
Sadly, when Epiphanie was pregnant with their third child, she noticed that her second born, Aphrodis, was weak. He was often ill and could not stand on his feet at age three. He was suffering from malnutrition.
The Help of a Neighbor
Epiphanie and Jeremy are not the only ones facing challenging circumstances like these. About 80% of the global population who are most at risk of hunger due to climate change are farming families living in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Yet, even as they are not alone in the challenges they face, theyâre also not alone in finding solutions.
In collaboration with UNICEF and The Rwandan national government, World Relief Rwanda connected Jeremy and Epiphanie to a neighbor, Jean Claude, who had faced similar circumstances.
Jean Claude had been selected and trained as a peer supporter through the Abarinzi Bâimikurire Myiza (ABM), or âThe Guardians of Good Growth,â project. ABM equips community and church leaders with knowledge and tools to help improve maternal, infant and child nutrition in Rwanda through peer-to-peer learning.
As part of the program, Jean Claude received training in food selection and preparation, child feeding practices, the importance of father involvement in child health and nutrition and household hygiene and sanitation.
Equipped with this knowledge, Jean Claude visited Epiphanie and Jeremy frequently to share what he had learned. He helped them plant and tend a kitchen garden capable of growing nutritious food with little maintenance and water. He also provided coaching on healthy practices for feeding a growing family. Within four months, Epiphanie and Jeremy had a garden full of mature, leafy green vegetables!
They were especially amazed that the water from their hand washing could sustain the garden in the dry season, and that the crops would endure even heavy rains.
Jean Claude also influenced Jeremy to change the way he spent the money he earned from odd jobs. âI used to spend money buying beer, sugar canes and ignore purchasing nutritious food for my family,â Jeremy explained. âAfter being trained on kitchen gardening, food preparation and food selection, I changed my priorities. I no longer buy alcohol in replacement of food. I try my best to provide different kinds of food varieties to my family on a daily basis. My wife and children need it, as well as me.â
Creating Climate Resilience Together
Now, Epiphanie and Jeremy are seeing the health of their family transformed in spite of the impacts of climate change. With more vegetables, protein and nutrients in his diet, Aphrodis has grown stronger and now runs around playing with other children.
Together, we have reached approximately 1,456 children like Aphrodis through ABM. Among them, we have seen a 20.9% increase in children ages 6 to 23 months consuming more frequent and diverse meals. We have also seen significant improvements in hygiene practices â among those who received peer-to-peer coaching from volunteers like Jean Claude, over 95% say they wash their hands at key moments, as compared to only 45% in the control group.
While Epiphanie and Jeremyâs lives are still impacted by a changing climate, they are raising healthy children and coping well, surrounded by a community of support thanks to Jean Claude, World Relief and generous people like you.
Read more about the impacts of climate change on poorer communities and how World Relief is responding.
James Munanura is the Senior Manager for Health and Social Protection at World Relief Rwanda. With a research background at the University of Rwanda and Makerere University in Uganda, he provides leadership and technical support to nutrition and health related projects. He assisted with the development and direct management of the peer-to-peer Abarinzi Bâimikurire Myiza project.
Jean Paul Niyitanga is the Communications and Operations Coordinator at World Relief Rwanda for the USAID-supported SCOPE Project. With a background in Journalism and Communications and a passion for serving the vulnerable, he began working at World Relief Rwanda in 2021. He has also served as a Communications Coordinator for UN-funded projects, including the Acceleration of Integrated Social Protection Interventions in Rwanda (AISPR) project and Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) project.Â
Emily Kankindi is the Communications and Documentation Unit Coordinator at World Relief Rwanda and is also serving as acting Program Officer for Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya. She started with World Relief in 2005 and has been growing through different roles while pursuing a career in creative communications. Driven by a mission to serve the most vulnerable, Emily has a passion for telling stories of impact and using all forms of communication to inspire others to care for and serve those in need. Her educational background is in marketing and travel operations.
Through the Flood: How Conflict and Climate Change are Converging in South Sudan
Serving the most vulnerable often means accessing the furthest, hardest-to-reach places in order to meet those in greatest need. For Daniel Erwaga, it meant riding through waist-deep flood waters on a 4×4 all terrain vehicle to assist farmers whose fields had been flooded in South Sudan.
Over the last three years, record amounts of rainfall have led to increased flooding in South Sudan, affecting more than 835,000 people.
According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees:
Climate change is driving more frequent and intense weather and climate extremes such as cyclones, floods and droughts, negatively impacting agricultural production, food and water resources, and peopleâs livelihoods. These effects can lead to conflict and humanitarian disasters and are increasingly contributing to displacement in different regions of the world.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with ongoing civil conflict. This political instability has contributed to a food security crisis that today, is being aggravated all the more by climate instability.
Today, former World Relief staff, Daniel Erwaga, joins us from Juba to talk about how conflict and climate change are converging in South Sudan to increase the vulnerability of those already struggling with food insecurity.
Daniel shares his experience as a professional agriculturalist and South Sudanese citizen. Though the events discussed are occurring in South Sudan, we all have a role to play â as crises converge, the only way to move forward is together.
Read on to learn more and join us.
WR: Hi Daniel. Thanks for being with us today.
Daniel: Thank you. I’m so much pleased to have this interview.
WR: Could you start by telling us about the type of work you did for World Relief South Sudan?
Daniel: I started working with World Relief in 2017 until 2022 in March when my contract ended. I worked on emergency projects in partnership with OFDA and FAO. My role as an agriculturalist was to help people in Fangak and Koch communities understand the value of farming as a vocation. People here are pastoralists. They donât know much about farming. I teach them everything from how to successfully grow crops all the way to running a business and selling their crops in the market.
WR: What prompted you to pursue a career as an agriculturalist?
Daniel: Of course. Iâve chosen this career based on my mentor â my father. He was also an agriculturalist. Back home, he had a kitchen garden and that kitchen garden impressed me. I told him I wanted to become an agriculturalist the same as him and he said, âNo problem. You can do that.â
It is both love and a desire to have knowledge that pushed me to go into agriculture. When I was young, I thought to myself, âOf course, food is being produced by an agriculturalist. Why don’t you go and become a professional farmer because day and night, people are eating?â If I can go into agriculture, I can have a broader understanding of farming to help secure the nation, which is struggling with food insecurity.
WR: Can you share more about why this work is so important for communities in South Sudan?
Daniel: Yes. Currently, more than 8 million people are experiencing hunger in South Sudan. My philosophy is that I am helping them help themselves. Through our efforts, farmers are able to do for themselves because of the training and agronomic practices they learn. Of course, when there is conflict, people canât cultivate the land, and often they move to another location. This mass migration into other territories can lead to more conflict and food shortages. And then there is the flood issue.
WR: How are you seeing the effects of climate change in the communities where you have worked?
Daniel: Climate change isnât just in South Sudan, itâs everywhere. When there’s too much rain, it destroys crops from the gardens. I know you guys may not see it in the U.S., but here, we can also see the impact of climate change where animals die day and night because they don’t have anywhere to graze and they don’t have anywhere to stand. That’s part of it, but it also affects crops. You cannot harvest, of course, when your garden is flooded with water.
WR: In your experience, how have you seen conflict and climate change as being connected?
Daniel: Yes. In my own experience, climate change has nothing to do with conflict, but it also has something to do with conflict. Most of the conflict that happens in South Sudan is because of the power struggle. But on the other hand, climate change has contributed to the effects of the conflict.
Let’s take an example like Jonglei State. They’re pastoralists. When the floods came, they moved with their animals to the Equatorial states where the Equatorian people are farmers. When the people from Jonglei come with a large number of herds and cattle, they almost always bring conflict to the new community.
The pastoralists and farmers donât communicate or collaborate with one another. So, when the pastoralists graze their animal in the farmerâs field, the animal will eat the crops of the farmer, and that’s where the conflict will come in. The flooding, which is caused as a result of climate change, also contributes to the conflict.
WR: There’s a photo of you that has become very popular at Word Relief. Can you tell us what was going on in that picture?
Daniel: You saw me on the convoy? Yes. It was last year in September. Some farmers had been calling me to go and check their gardens [which had been flooded]. I was riding in a truck, but I got stuck. Moving forward was a bit challenging. The place was flooded, so I could not move. I had to stop and assess how shallow the water was because the flood had covered the road, so there was nothing I could do. I could not go back and then I could not go forward.
That’s why I took the initiative of using the quad bike because the car could not access the road. I wanted to see how the garden had been flooded so I could give a report to see how those communities can be helped.
WR: If somebody’s garden is flooded, what kind of help is available to them through World Relief?
Daniel: First, you want to provide basic necessities like offering food because if the garden has been flooded, the person doesn’t expect to yield out of [a flooded garden]. You need to offer help. Then, if the flooding is not so much, you can dig a dyke, which can control the flood from entering into the garden. Those are the things I’ve been helping the farmers to do.
WR: Does South Sudan usually have a rainy season and a dry season, and has that changed?
Daniel: Yes. We have two seasons here, rain season and then dry season. As Iâm speaking now, people are complaining because people are sleeping over the water. As a result, there is mass migration. People are moving out to higher elevated ground because of the flood.* Currently, we are now in the rainy season.
WR: What challenges does it create when so many people have to move to a new place because of flooding?
Daniel: There are a lot of challenges, one of which is shelter because when you migrate to a new location, you may find it hard for you to find shelter. Finding a place to sleep is a problem. Also toilets. A lot of disease can come when people donât have a place to use the toilet. Also, as I said, there is even community conflict as a result of climate change and migration. People from Jonglei State are also migrating to Equatorian states where the flooding is less. They’re coming with their animals, and then the animals are eating another farmerâs crops, so there is conflict when this happens.
WR: At World Relief, weâve been talking a lot about COVID, conflict and climate change. What do you think the Christian community can do to help with these crises?
Daniel: Christian community can play a big role in addressing crises like COVID-19. First, they can establish psychosocial support structures in the community to help people who are traumatized, who are affected with COVID-19. We can also build on that by procuring face masks and creating awareness.
Now, when it comes to conflict, the Christian community can promote peace and reconciliation and dialogue forums to address the issue of conflict. Christian community can also provide training in peace-making methodology to address the issue of conflict. These are things World Relief does well in engaging church leaders in the process.
The Christian community can respond differently than other individuals or governing bodies because the church leader is listened to and is trusted by members of the community.
WR: What do you want the global community to know about South Sudan?
Daniel: Of course, most of the global community doesn’t know about South Sudan. South Sudan is the worldâs newest nation, gaining independence on July 9th of 2011.
Since gaining independence, conflict has renewed in both 2013 and 2016, and the country has suffered severe flooding and drought. Most of the communities are suffering. As I’m speaking, they need much support to build their livelihood and then to recover from the shock of what they’re going through. You can convey our message to the global community so that they know there’s a country, which is so new and these people are suffering. They’re more vulnerable because communities are highly prone to climate-related impacts and a loss of livelihood because of the flooding.
WR: What would you say is your biggest prayer right now for South Sudan?
Daniel: My biggest prayer for South Sudan is for our countryâs leadership so that whatever they’re doing, they are first thinking of the people who are suffering. My biggest prayer for the leaders is that they have a heart of forgiving one another because without peace, we cannot do anything. I do pray for that day and night.
WR: Absolutely. We’ll be praying for that too. Similarly, what do you hope for South Sudan?
Daniel: Personally, I hope for the best, a brighter future for South Sudan. In the future, our country is going to be more stabilized and is going to be a peaceful country. Of course, with support from the global community, I know things will improve well. I have hope for a better future for South Sudanese.
In the face of unprecedented challenges, the only way forward is together. Give today and help us reach more people, in more communities, with more resources than we ever dreamed possible.
*South Sudan is home to the Sudd, the worldâs largest wetland covering more than 35,000 square miles. While the Sudd is prone to annual flooding, increased rains have affected the length and intensity of the floods. Whatâs more, the Nile river feeds into the Sudd from Uganda. A prolonged rainy season in Uganda increases the water levels of the Nile, which can lead to more flooding in South Sudan.
Rachel Clair is a Content Manager at World Relief. Alongside an amazing team of marketing colleagues, she manages the curation and creation of written and multi-media content for World Reliefâs global platforms. With more than 10 years of experience creating content for churches and non-profits, she is passionate about developing content that challenges both individuals and communities to lean into all of whom God created them to be. She holds a BFA from Stephens College and is currently participating in a spiritual formation cohort through the Transforming Center in Wheaton, IL.
6 Ways the Church is Talking About Climate Change
In August, World Relief partnered with the National Association of Evangelicals to release Loving the Least of These, an updated report on climate change and its impact on the worldâs poor.
At World Relief, we understand creation care as a core tenet of our Christian faith. While individuals and congregations may differ on particular understandings or points of action, we believe the church needs to be part of the conversation about climate instability â not divided by partisanship, but united in the Spirit to bring hope and restoration to communities impacted by climate-related disasters around the world.
In this round-up, weâve highlighted how people within the church â both inside and outside the evangelical tradition â are joining the conversation on climate change, its impacts on those in vulnerable situations and the Christian calling to care for creation.
You can join the conversation on climate and creation care by exploring the perspectives in this round-up. Then, take action with us as we build stronger, more climate-resilient communities together.
Relevant Magazine: What Can Christians Do About Climate Change?
World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene and NAE President Walter Kim share how evangelical views of climate change are shifting in the U.S. and urge American Christians to commit to creation care as an integral part of loving our neighbors around the world.
âIn American evangelical communities, there has been a current of skepticism about [climate] changes. But as the effects become clearer, greater numbers of Americans â including evangelical Christians â are thinking more about the consequences of climate changeâŠ
âFor the majority of evangelical Christians who reside in Africa, Latin America, or Asia â the parts of the world experiencing the most significant effects of climate change â this is neither new nor controversial.â â Myal Greene and Walter Kim
The Christian Science Monitor: Young Evangelicals Seek to Save the Earth â and Their Church
Journalist Erika Page covers a movement of young evangelicals who are taking a stand at the intersection of faith and climate action. For those like Elsa Barron, loving our neighbors includes caring for creation.
âUntil then, [Elsa Barronâs] religion and her love for the natural world had existed in separate spheres. Now, she began to see the environmental crisis as a deeply spiritual crisis, built on a foundation of greed, extraction, and irreverence. And with that understanding came an accompanying spiritual obligation.
ââIf we donât care about it and donât do something about it, weâre failing to fulfill two of our callings as people of faith: to care for creation and to love our neighbors,â she says over Zoom from her familyâs home in Illinois.â â Erika Page
Holy Post Podcast Episode 525: Why Donât Evangelicals Care About the Environment?
The Holy Postâs Phil Vischer, Christian Taylor and Skye Jethani react to the NAEâs climate report, discuss historic evangelical positions on climate change and share how we, as Christians, can move forward in light of the reportâs findings.
âWell what is my responsibility? What can I do? How should I be changed by hearing this news? Iâm walking away from this today, realizing that I do need to double up my prayer efforts. We need to […] lament these ways weâve treated the planet and Godâs creation in the past. I think that we need to continue to pray that the truth will be revealed about how we should care for one another well. We should care for Godâs creation well, and thatâs part of our biblical mandate.â â Christian Taylor
CNN: How Evangelical Leaders are Citing the Bible to Combat Climate Change
Reporter Rene Marsh highlights the NAE climate report and sits down with evangelical mega-church pastor John K. Jenkins, whose congregation believes protecting the planet is synonymous with a commitment to Godâs word.
âPsalms 24 says, âThe earth is the Lordâs and the fullness thereof and they that dwell there in it.â Itâs Godâs creation; he made it. We shouldnât abuse or neglect something God created. […] Iâm not going to allow political pundits to influence what I believe the Bible teaches.â â Senior Pastor John K. Jenkins, First Baptist Church of Glenarden
Wall Street Journal: Famine Threatens East Africa as Drought Persists
Journalists Michael Philips and Gabrielle Steinhauser report on the devastating climate-related drought creating a hunger emergency in parts of Africa, despite the fact that Africa is responsible for little of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute towards climate change. International organizations like World Relief are responding, but say that available assistance has not yet risen to meet the increasing need. World Reliefâs Elias Kamau is among the experts they interviewed.
âThe World Meteorological Organization, part of the U.N., last week said that climate change is hitting Africa, which is responsible for just 2% to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, disproportionately hard. […]
âThe agency estimated that around 250 million Africans already lack sufficient water and that water scarcity will displace up to 700 million people by 2030.
ââThese are ânot problems that are originating from Africa,â said Elias Kamau, Kenya country director for World Relief, a U.S.-based evangelical Christian aid group.â â Michael Philips and Gabrielle Steinhauser
National Association of Evangelicals Blog: Worship the Creator
NAE President Walter Kim encourages Christians to view creation care not as an expression of partisan politics but as an act of worship through which we join with creation in praising God, our Creator.
âCreator, forgive us.
The earth is yours and everything that is in it. But we forget.
In our arrogance we think we own it.
In our greed we think we can steal it.
In our ignorance we worship it.
In our thoughtlessness we destroy it.
We forget that you created it
To bring praise and joy to you.
That you gave it as a gift, for us to steward,
For us to enjoy,
For us to see more clearly
Your beauty and your majesty.â
â prayer from the âLift Up Your Heartsâ hymnal
Those experiencing poverty and vulnerability are already being impacted by climate-related disasters, but itâs not too late to help. Learn more about World Reliefâs commitment to creation care, and join us as we help communities build resilience against climate disasters and create change that lasts around the world.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
World Reliefâs Commitment to Environmental Stewardship
And God said, âLet the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.â So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. – Genesis 1:20-21
Caring for Creation
Creation care is one of the core tenets of Christian witness. Indeed, scripture is clear. God gave humans dominion over the earth âto work it and take care of it â (Genesis 2:15). And In 2010, the Christian commitment to creation care was codified in the Lausanne Cape Town Commitment, which stated:
All human beings are to be stewards of the rich abundance of Godâs good creation. We are authorized in using it for the sake of human welfare and needs, âŠ[and] also commanded to care for the earth and all its creatures, because the earth belongs to God, not to us.
Creation is both a beautiful gift for our pleasure and joy and an essential part of the very sustainability of our planet. Yet sadly, the incredible biodiversity that is celebrated in Genesis 1 is no longer as visible as it once was.
At World Relief, we have first-hand experience working with communities facing the devastating effects of increased natural disasters due to climate change in places like Turkana, Haiti, Malawi and South Sudan. Even if we don’t feel the effects of climate change as dramatically as our sisters and brothers in other parts of the world, we share one planet and must acknowledge that our actions have a direct effect on their lives.
Earlier this week, the National Association of Evangelicals, in partnership with World Relief, released Loving the Least of These, a report on the effects of climate change and our responsibility as stewards of Godâs creation to care for this earth and those who are suffering as a result of our rapidly changing climate.
World Reliefâs Environmental Stewardship Policy
Alongside the process of writing this report, we at World Relief entered into a thoughtful process of research, discussion and analysis, which resulted in the creation of an organizational Environmental Stewardship Policy that World Relief will use to translate its commitments into action and impact.
In July of 2022, World Relief put in place a permanent, cross-departmental environmental working group to elevate environmental stewardship principles and drive awareness, innovation and action across all of our programs and operations around the world. This group will create and standardize an annual environmental stewardship plan with short-, medium- and long-term goals that will:
- set up a program to offset carbon/greenhouse emissions caused by air travel
- identify areas where World Relief can conserve energy and water and increase whenever possible
- increase the use of renewable energy within our office buildings with particular emphasis on heating, lighting, ventilation, office equipment and the use of vehicles
- reduce waste by eliminating single-use plastics and polystyrene within programs and offices over time
- promote responsible procurement of goods and equipment that are the most sustainable over their life cycle, including an emphasis on local procurement
- increase recycling and promote the responsible disposal of waste when needed
- develop a set of advocacy actions on policy issues related to the environment, particularly those policy matters that most affect the vulnerable.
- develop a curriculum that will increase awareness and provide ongoing training and education for staff, volunteers and World Relief church partners
- improve and formalize our efforts to assure that all programs engage the communities and partners we work with in preventing damage to the environment while promoting and practicing conservation and sustainable use of resources
Furthering Our Commitment
On August 6, 2022 World Relief also signed The Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations. This charter was developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 2019 âto support and promote greater climate action within the humanitarian community at large.â
Since that time, some 300 humanitarian organizations have joined the charter. The charter requires that within a year of signing, an organization will âtranslate the commitments in the Charter into time-bound targets and action plans within a year.â
World Relief will be developing its targets and commitments in a first annual environmental work plan as discussed above and these will be published online on the Charter website.
In signing this charter World Relief joins with other humanitarian organizations including our fellow evangelical humanitarian partner agencies in the Integral Alliance to be able to transform our messaging and commitments into cooperation, action and impact.
Fulfilling Our Call
While matters of the environment have always been a concern and a part of our programs, going forward, environmental stewardship will be an increasingly fundamental part of how World Relief carries out our mission through both policy and action.
We live in an interconnected world â a reality that is continuously becoming more and more clear. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that when one of us suffers, all of us suffer.
None of us is exempt from Jesus’ call to love and serve those in need, and right now, one of the best ways we can do this is by understanding the impact of our choices and caring for creation. Together, we can be both the reactive and the proactive people Jesus calls us to be. We can be people who realize that what we do has ripple effects on the most vulnerable people in our world, and then choose to change how we live.
Read more about World Relief’s commitment to environmental stewardship and how the church can address the effects of a changing climate.
To Address Climate Change, We Must Be Proactive & Reactive
âEven so the body is not made up of one part but of manyâŠIf one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.â 1 Corinthians 12:14 & 26
Too often we donât recognize something as a problem until it affects us personally. Take climate change, for example. One of the reasons it can be so hard to find common ground on this issue is because it affects each of us in unique and disproportionate ways â some severely and directly, and some, barely and at a distance.
As a boy growing up in the suburbs of Orlando, I was interested in environmental issues from a young age. I loved the outdoors. The thought that people’s actions could damage the environment and squander our resources broke my heart. So, I took action.
I insisted on water conservation in our house. I got my family to start using cloth bags for grocery shopping â and this was the early â90s. We were way ahead of the curve! I even organized a recycling program for my neighborhood. This was long before the city would pick up recycling. I would collect bottles, cans and newspapers from other homes and my mom would drive me to drop them off at the local recycling center.
In many ways, I was motivated by a conservation mindset. I loved the idea of protecting what was beautiful about God’s creation â rivers, forests, oceans.
But my view was incomplete. It didn’t include an important part of God’s creation â people. I hadnât fully realized how protecting, and not protecting, the environment and our climate could affect other people.
Drawing Closer to Climate Change
Twenty years later, in 2007, I moved to Rwanda where almost the entire population relies on agriculture for their livelihood. Farmer after farmer that I met spoke passionately about climate change, highlighting that the rainy season had been predictable for generations.
But in recent years, the rains had changed and crop cycles were ruined. It was becoming harder to live off the land, and many families were suffering. That experience gave me a deeper personal understanding of why this challenge is so great.
Though thousands of miles may separate us from those impacted by climate change right now, Scripture is clear: When one suffers, we all suffer.
At World Relief, we work every day to stand with the vulnerable and equip churches to be agents of change in their communities. This means weâve had first-hand experience working alongside people facing the most devastating effects of climate change. Our experiences around the world have taught us that if we want to be a catalyst for change that lasts, we have to address the root causes of poverty, which include climate change, and not just bring temporary solutions.
Becoming a Reactive and Proactive People
Over the last several months, World Relief has partnered with the National Association of Evangelicals to update a report on how climate change often affects the worldâs poorest the most. Itâs called Loving the Least of These, and itâs scheduled to be released on August 15th.
According to our findings, the impact of environmental instability on the poor can be summarized into four main problems:
- Poor people are more affected by disasters, particularly in regards to their health.
- The financial cost of mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change are higher for poor people relative to their income.
- They are more likely to be displaced.
- They are more likely to be affected by conflicts that ensue as a result of migration and displacement.
Even if we don’t feel the effects of climate change as dramatically as our sisters and brothers in other parts of the world â people like Akiru in Kenya and Nyawaraga in South Sudan â we share one planet and must acknowledge that our actions have a direct effect on their lives.
None of us is exempt from Jesus’ call to love the least of these, and right now, one of the best ways we can do this is by being both the reactive and the proactive people Jesus calls us to be. We can respond compassionately and practically to the immediate impacts of climate change and work towards lasting solutions that protect and preserve the environment we all depend on for generations to come.
In the coming weeks, as we share more about how World Relief is putting our commitment into policy and action, I hope youâll also spend some time reflecting on your call as a Christ-follower to care for Godâs creation and for all who are created in his image â including those who are suffering as a result of climate change.
There is so much we can do to make a difference, and it starts right here, right now. Let’s be reactive and proactive people who realize that what we do has ripple effects on the most vulnerable of our world. And then let’s change how we live to better care for our environment and for one another.
Be among the first to receive a link to the report and World Reliefâs new policy on climate change by signing up below.
Myal Greene has a deep desire to see churches worldwide equipped, empowered, and engaged in meeting the needs of vulnerable families in their communities. In 2021, he became President and CEO after serving for fourteen years with the organization. While living in Rwanda for eight years, he developed World Reliefâs innovative church-based programming model that is currently used in nine countries. He also spent six years in leadership roles within the international programs division. He has previous experience working with the U.S. Government. He holds B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University and an M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Global Leadership. He and his wife Sharon and have three children.
Attending to Godâs Creation
Today, on World Humanitarian Day, we join organizations from across the globe to bring awareness to the human cost of todayâs climate crisis and the immediate consequences this crisis is having on the worldâs most vulnerable communities. At World Relief, we believe creation care is one of the core tenets of Christian witness, and is an integral part of caring for the worldâs most vulnerable. Thatâs why we are committed to working toward environmental stewardship and climate-sensitive policies both internally and throughout our programs around the world.
And God said, âLet the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.â So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:20-21
In 2017, I accompanied World Relief Kenya Country Director Elias Kamau to visit Turkana County. The people of Turkana have been living in this area for hundreds of years, relying largely on their livestock for food. What I saw on my trip was devastating. Over 90% of the livestock in the county were dead. Children were suffering from malnutrition. And after two failed rain seasons, the Turkana people were starving.
This is a far cry from the picture of God’s creation we see in Genesis 1 â a picture of life in abundance, a creation overflowing with birds, fish and animals of every kind. A world that God declared very good.
Creation is both a beautiful gift for our pleasure and joy, and an essential part of the very sustainability of our planet. Yet sadly, the incredible biodiversity that is celebrated in Genesis 1 is no longer as visible as it once was.
Though some may still dispute the degree to which climate change is being caused by humans, few would dispute that it is impacting our world. Wherever you may stand on this issue, as Christians, we should be able to agree that scripture is clear. God gave humans dominion over the earth “to work it and take care of it ” (Genesis 2:15).
Indeed, creation care is one of the core tenets of Christian witness. But today, there is mounting evidence that we are failing badly in this responsibility.
In his new Netflix documentary, “A Life On Our Planet,” natural historian David Attenborough, now 93, documents this decline and the reasons for it in vivid and disturbing terms. We, God’s chosen stewards of His Creation, are quite literally destroying the creation that makes our own lives possible, living apart from nature rather than being a part of it, and thus bringing forward what could be the sixth mass extinction event in the history of the world if we continue on current trends.
The Crisis
If that seems exaggerated, consider the following. In 1937 there were 2.3 billion people on the earth and 66% of the world was wilderness. By 1997 there were 5.7 billion people and 46 % of the world was wilderness. Today, in 2020 there are 7.8 billion people and only about 35% of the world remains as wilderness.
This matters because the sustainability of our planet and our lives depends on the delicate balance of rainforests, grasslands, oceans, ice caps and the rich biodiversity contained in them. As the planet warms, as populations grow and as we destroy wilderness to fuel our consumption-oriented lives, the cycle of destruction accelerates. As a result, since the 1950s, wild animal populations have halved. And itâs expected that unless we make dramatic changes, in the next twenty years the Amazon rainforest will become dry savannah and the arctic will be free from ice in the summer.
At World Relief, we see the effects of this directly in our work around the world, as climate change shifts long-term weather patterns, bringing more destructive climatic events such as severe flooding. This especially impacts the poorest of the worldâs countries, where food and water insecurity and environmental disasters have forced migration and increased conflicts and violence all across the developing world.
While in Turkana, expected rains have been replaced by months of extreme drought and resulting famine, weâve seen the contrary in Malawi and parts of Sudan where severe flooding has been far worse than in years past. In places like Haiti and Nicaragua, weâve seen an increase in both the frequency and intensity of tropical storms and greater suffering as a result. Most recently, we experienced the devastating effects of the worst hurricane season on record across Central America as Hurricaneâs Eta and Iota struck the region just weeks after one another, causing extreme vulnerability and devastation. And on our U.S. Southern border, weâre beginning to see an uptick in environmentally-induced migration as families flee environmental pressures in search of a safe place to rebuild their homes.
Now What
Much of our programming aims to combat the consequences of this devastating climate change.
In countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, our Agriculture for Life programming uses conservation techniques that help reverse the man-made consequences of over-farming and deforestation. By working with the land rather than depleting it, we are finding different ways to farm that are better for the environment and give farmers better long-term crop yields.Â
In Turkana, we are also working on range rehabilitation through the development of Conservation Areas. These areas are fenced-off portions of communal land that are protected from livestock and treated with high-quality grass seeds for a period of time. When the dry season arrives or drought hits, the conservation areas often provide the only viable pasture for livestock to feed on, ensuring selected herds are cushioned from the drought shocks and that the Turkana people can continue to rely on their livestock for food and milk through harsh periods of drought and famine.
In Haiti, we have just begun a new waste management project in partnership with Tearfund UK and Arris Desrosiers â a social enterprise company based out of the capital of Port-Au-Prince â which aims to change beliefs and behaviors around waste management and recycling through lessons in creation care and environmental stewardship. The project hopes to connect over 15,000 beneficiaries to proper waste collection and recycling, significantly reducing the waste flowing into the ocean and improving the health and well-being of thousands of families in the Port-au-Prince area of Carrefour.
In the coming years, World Relief is committed to working toward environmental stewardship and climate sensitive policies both internally and throughout more of our programs around the world.
Our Responsibility
In truth, it will take the whole world; governments, scientists, businesses and each one of us to reverse the trends. We all have to do our part.
We must not rest in denial just because the impacts of climate change are not on our own doorstep. That denial fails to honor God and the wonders of his creation.
Change will only happen when our own hearts are moved so that we have eyes to see and ears to hear. It will happen when we cease to allow climate change and care for our environment to be seen purely through the lens of politics or economic self-interest and bow in submission to our duty of care for God’s creation â a creation to which we are all connected; when we reduce economic inequality and education disparities in the developing world so that we can bring population growth under control; and when we recognize what we do “over here” affects people “over there”. Whether in small or big ways, each one of us can make a difference in building a better world today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
It is time â if not past time â to attend to our Lord’s business.
Tim Breene served on the World Relief Board from 2010 to 2015 before assuming the role of CEO from 2016-2020. Timâs business career has spanned nearly 40 years with organizations like McKinsey and Accenture where he was the Corporate Development Officer and Founder and Chief Executive of Accenture Interactive. Tim is the co-author of Jumping the S-Curve, published by Harvard Publishing. Tim and his wife, Michele, a longtime supporter of World Relief, have a wealth of experience working with Christian leaders in the United States and around the world.
Creation Care in Haiti
A global problem
While creation care is one of the core tenets of Christian witness, there is mounting evidence that we, as humans, are failing badly in the responsibility of stewarding our global home. Climates are changing, storms are happening more frequently with more intensity, systems that were once reliable for livelihoods are now becoming unpredictable, and the amount of accumulated waste continues to increase:
- Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tons of solid waste is collected worldwide, and the decay of the organic proportion of solid waste is contributing about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. About 12% has been incinerated, while the rest â 79% â has accumulated in landfills, dumps or the natural environment.
- Around the world, 1 million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year and generally thrown away after only one use.
Though these statistics are staggering, there is so much we can do individually and collectively to prevent a wasting of the environment. World Relief is committed to working toward environmental stewardship and climate-sensitive policies both internally and throughout our programs around the world.
A Collective Commitment
In October 2020, we began a partnership project called Environment Plus (EN+) with Tearfund UK and Arris Desrosiers, a Haitian waste management company, to provide sustainable solid waste management services in Carrefour, a metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.
âWhen we were traveling out to our programs, we would see densely populated areas right outside the city that had become like dumpsites,â recalled Athanase Ndayisaba, World Relief Haitiâs Country Director. âAll kinds of domestic waste from homes in the city was just being dumped outside in these communities. It was filthy and it creates huge issues for the general health of the population.
âChildren in this area were playing in trash, and waste creates disease â this concerned us.â
Something needed to be done, so World Relief engaged with partners like Arris Desrosiers, who not only seeks to manage waste but uses recyclable waste to make school backpacks and fertilizer that can be sold to farmers in the area, to design the project.”
Together, we are raising awareness about the importance of reducing waste dumped into oceans, improving environmental conditions for those living in poverty and creating income-generating activities for local Haitians.
A key component of this initiative is the community mobilization of local churches and pastors. We are developing a biblically-based training and curriculum that we will use to train church leaders and volunteers of the value and importance of creation care. These leaders are essential in spreading the word about best waste management practices and the importance of creation care in their communities while supporting the waste collection process.
Currently, we have 30 local churches involved, and they are excited to help. âChurch leaders recently spent a whole day collecting trash,â Athanase said. While church and community leaders are essential to mobilize their communities, youth are also integral in continuing this project into the future.
A Future for our Youth
By training young people in Carrefour about waste management and how to collect and separate trash, we can ensure these practices will be carried on long after the project ends. This project also brings income earning potential for young people by employing them in the recycling process.
âWe want to see the waste in this area cleaned up,â Athanase says. âWe want to teach the general population how to handle and separate domestic waste for recycling, creating a network of clean-up and conservation in the area.â
As a result of EN+, we anticipate that 15,000 individuals in Carrefour will have access to solid waste management services and an additional 5,000 individuals will be connected to interventions to help limit waste. Ultimately, the project will reduce waste dumped in oceans by 182.7 tons per month, 148.3 tons of which will be recycled.
While immediate and specific actions are necessary, we recognize that understanding the greater purpose behind waste management and our call to care for creation leads to meaningful solutions and lasting change.
âThe heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.â Psalm 19:1
Dana North previously served as the Marketing Director at World Relief. With a background in graphic design and advertising and experiences in community development and transformation, Dana seeks to use the power of words and action to help create a better world. Dana is especially passionate about seeking justice for women and girls around the world.