Building Climate Resilience for Farmers: Kathin Saengmee

In Sukhothai’s Kong Krairat district, farmers battle a yearly cycle of floods and drought. Kathin Saengmee wasn't about to sit back and wait for help. Instead, she put her hand up as an "irrigation volunteer," acting as the go-between for the Royal Irrigation Department and local farmers to manage water flow and distribution fairly and effectively.

Her work shifted gears through a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This project let Kathin back up local know-how with modern climate data. Now, the community plans their planting calendar to sidestep the worst of the season, moving from fixing problems on the fly to planning for the long haul.

“Our work with the UN has helped farmers to stay strong despite a changing climate,” she notes. The results speak for themselves: farmers have kept their harvests and incomes steady despite the volatile climate. For Kathin, this proves that locals can handle their own challenges, if they have the right information.

“This project showed that the community can adapt if we know what’s coming,” Kathin says. “For farmers, water is our most critical asset. When we manage the water, we’re securing our families' livelihoods ourselves.”