Mekong - U.S. Partnership
To help Lower Mekong Basin farmers adapt to climate change, USAID Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change (USAID Mekong ARCC) is partnering with International Union Conservation of Nature Thailand (IUCN Thailand) to identify and implement adaptation strategies in the under-resourced communities of Thailand.
Community members in Hae Ko, in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province, are strengthening their resilience to projected climate change impacts by diversifying their crops in the same plot of land, a process called “intercropping.” On a USAID Mekong ARCC field trip, Hae Ko villagers observed intercropping and other resilient farming practices and learned that integrated farming, such as growing Arabica coffee in the same plot of land with fruit and other fast-growing trees can help reduce soil erosion, reduce reliance on weather patterns and provide a more consistent stream of income.
"By practicing intercropping, the villagers won’t have to destroy the forest area, and we can earn sufficient income throughout the year from different trees,” said Malee Pasae, a Hae Ko resident. USAID Mekong ARCC and IUCN Thailand is working with 196 households in Hae Ko and neighboring Loh Yo and Huai Kang Pla villages to protect their livelihoods and food security from the impacts of climate change.
Source: USAID/RDMA Regional Environment Office Weekly Update
