Mrs. Chom Bansi, 70 years old, comes from a large family that has been involved in agriculture since the generation of her ancestors. She has 2 children and now 5 grandchildren.
When she was young, she started rice farming, then raising cattle, the American Brahman, for trade. Later, this became her alternative after she started growing various seasonal crops organically on a rotational system, which has become her main income.
In over 40 years of farming, she has managed to feed her family well, give her children and grandchildren an education, and have a future without borrowing money from the bank or going into debt, something she is most proud of.
What has climate change done here?
The extremely hot weather this year is making cultivation difficult and the plants are not growing at all. Normally some crops can be harvested within 45 days, but now 2 months have passed and the crops are still not ready for harvest.
The leaves were burnt and withered due to the extreme heat. Even when we watered them, it did not help. Our income has dropped and that has affected the people. The heat burned my back when I was cutting the grass, so I had to avoid the sun during the day. Some people fainted. I can only work in the mornings and evenings, and in the middle of the day, I have to hide in the shade and take a rest in a hammock.
Even when I was not in the sun, it was still very hot and I became irritable. Even when I showered, it was still as hot as ever.
When the rainy season came, it rained very heavily, more than usual. It rained all day and all night. In a dialect of Isaan (northeast), "Humm" means wet. The rain floods the land and causes the plants to rot and die.
In previous years, the incessant rain was still bearable. But this year it rained for a week straight. Who can bear that?
What do you think world leaders have to do now to stop things from getting worse and to help us adapt?
Life expectancy 2023
.svg)
