Climate Curve

Asia Initiatives

Org Type

Nonprofit

Year Founded

1999

Winner or Finalist

2026 Winner

Link: LinkedIn:

Primary Project Category:

Secondary Project Category:

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

['Reduces GHGs (e.g., projects that reduce sources of GHGs, such as through efficiency or other changes in consumption)', 'Removes/stores GHGs (e.g., projects that capture, sequester, or otherwise enhance the "sinks" that accumulate and store GHGs)']

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

We work with the most underserved and remote communities in climate-vulnerable geographies. All our work is pro-environment, pro-community and pro-women. For example, we are working in Maharashtra’s “suicide belt”, where nearly 4,000 farmers have committed suicide due to debt burden brought about by droughts and crop failures. These regions have experienced a staggering four-fold increase of drought over the past ten years. The instability of this changing climate has resulted in feminization of farming and poverty. 

Women farmers who have not yet adopted our methods toil for long hours while standing or bending over in wet rice paddies, which exposes them to various health conditions. While rice can be cultivated in two seasons, the summer crop depends on water availability. Across multiple locations in Maharashtra and Odisha, we are promoting our SRI/SMI methodologies that reduce drudgery and water inputs and increase yields dramatically. Our watershed and river restoration work leads to Vegetable Gardens in formerly barren areas, improving the health and incomes of families, while reducing GHG emissions. Elevated income and time for other activities also enhance women’s status in the family and their confidence, eventually helping women become leaders, and agents for poverty alleviation, climate resilience and food security.

Website:

https://www.asiainitiatives.org/

Mission Statement:

Asia Initiatives aims to leverage the power of social capital to promote environmental sustainability, while empowering vulnerable communities towards climate resilience, water and food security. Our initiatives work with underserved communities to help them become key stakeholders in their own success in sequestering carbon through climate-smart agriculture and livelihoods.

Link: Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AsiaInitiatives

Link: Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/socialcapitalinitiatives/