The floating villages of Pursat, Cambodia, are home to many women who are struggling to adapt to the climate crisis. The fishing industry, which is a major source of income for many locals, is being disrupted by more frequent and intense storms, as well as longer dry seasons.

ActionAid, a charity that works to fight poverty and injustice, has launched a campaign to help these women adapt to the climate crisis. The campaign, called She Is The Answer, supports communities to become more resilient by training women to take up climate-adaptive livelihoods.

One of ActionAid’s projects is located in the village of Oakol, where the charity helped set up a floating garden for locals to harvest vegetables. The produce from the garden is distributed among the community and surplus vegetables are sold to people in neighboring villages.

Ol Pheap, a 41-year-old fisherwoman from the village of Kompong Knie, is one of the women who has been trained to tend the floating garden. She says that the garden has helped to increase the consumption of vegetables in the village and improved community health.

“I feel like I’m no longer a woman who only knows how to do one thing,” says Pheap. “I know how to grab opportunities and I can now share those life skills with other people.”

In addition to the floating gardens, ActionAid is also working with women in Cambodia to plant mangroves to help protect villages from storms, promote sustainable farming methods, and create floating schools where future generations can learn about climate resilience.

The work of ActionAid and other organizations is helping to empower women in Cambodia to take action against the climate crisis. By providing women with the skills and resources they need, these organizations are helping to build a more resilient future for everyone.