One of the most critical points of climate change is how it can affect food supplies for a growing global population. Farmers are trying to adapt to an increasingly variable climate by coming up with solutions to help mitigate the impacts of climate change on their local communities. 

This week, with #photo4climate Instagram Challenge we’ve been learning how #agriculture is being affected on local communities around the world, from Philippines to South Africa. Therefore, we are much pleased to announce this week’s winner photo: congratulations Allan F. Castañeda. Your photo truly illustrates how agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sector affected by climate change. Thank you. Your photo will be displayed at Climate Action 2016 at Connect4Climate booth space on People's Haus. More details here.

Here is the original caption:

#Climatechange greatly affects the proper schedule of harvesting especially the quality of the harvest.
During rainy season, farmers were forced to harvest their rice ahead of the exact season of harvesting due to incessant rain that cause flooding. When summer, it also affected the growth of rice due to lack of adequate water or irrigation caused by dry season, hence affecting also the availability of having a healthy and abundant grain harvest in our #agriculture. This was taken at Padre Garcia in the province of Batangas in the Philippines. #Photo4Climate

Last week, on Earth Day, history was written. Connect4Climate, the World Bank Group's global partnerhsip program, joined the world in celebrating the signing of the Paris Climate Change Agreement at the United Nations.

John Kerry at Paris Climate Change Agreement Signing Ceremony. Photo Credit: Leigh Vogel

World leaders from 175 Parties (174 countries and the European Union) came together at the United Nations to sign up to the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The signing ceremony far exceeded the historical record for first-day signatures to an international agreement.

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said: “Today is a remarkable, record-breaking day in the history of international cooperation on climate change and a sustainable future for billions of people alive today and those to come.”

On the day there were moving speeches and incredible scenes with US Secretary of State John Kerry signing the agreement with his granddaughter, young leaders expressing hope and optimism and Leonardo DiCaprio speaking bold words of wisdom in support of climate action (See his full speech here).

"This is the body that can do all it's needed. The world is watching you." @LeoDiCaprio #ParisAgreement pic.twitter.com/vYx1pZa6hy

— Connect4Climate (@Connect4Climate) April 22, 2016

Along with the global leaders, 197 children representing the Parties that have adopted the Agreement joined. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged nations to listen to their youth.

“We need to listen to young people and keep the promises made in Paris,” said the Secretary-General.  

Connect4Climate was excited not only to witness the important event, but also to add the youth voice in support of world leaders who signed the Paris Agreement.

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Victoria Barrett, Max Thabiso Edkins and John Rutherford Seydel at the UN. Photo Credit: Leigh Vogel

In the United Nations Digital Media Zone, we worked with youth activists including Xiuhtezcatl Martinez of Earth Guardians and Victoria Barrett, a 17-year-old Honduran-American with roots in the Garifuna Indigenous culture and Alliance for Climate Education Action Fellow.  

“We need every young person on the planet to join hands with us, to build a better future, for my generation, for future generations to come, to tackle climate change,” emphasized Xiuhtezcatl Martinez.

Connect4Climate worked with Alliance for Climate Education youth reporters, who lead interviews with celebrities and leaders including Actor Forest Whitaker, United Nations Youth Envoy Ahmad Alhendawi, Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly, Achim Steiner, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, John Roome, Senior Director, Climate Change, World Bank Group, Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network, and Rosemary Kalapurakal from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Ahmad Alhendawi, United Nations Youth Envoy, highlighted: “Youth4Climate was a very important hashtag and movement leading up to create this momentum to get the Paris Agreement signed…We have to live in a more sustainable way and that is where I believe young people can continue this massive movement.”

Dinaz Kureishy interviews John Roome, Senior Director, Climate Change, World Bank Group. Photo Credit: Max Thabiso Edkins

Forest Whitaker praised the role of youth in addressing climate change, saying, “the smallest actions sometimes can create the tipping point for other actions to occur.”

Comparing the role of young people in the movement for liberation in South Africa, John Roome emphasized youth for social mobilization and political involvement: “It was young people who moved the political debate forward, by coming out on the streets, by demonstrating, by making their voices known.”

On the day, Connect4Climate also presented our Virtual Reality video, March4Earth, to several high-profile world leaders, including Gian Luca Galletti, the Italian Minister for Environment, Land and Sea. We also ran a selfie station for participants to share their passion and energy in support of climate action. The winners of #Photo4Climate Instagram Challenge were also exhibited in the Digital Media Zone.

Gian Luca Galletti, Italian Minister for Environment, Land and Sea, watches Virtual Reality film March4Earth. Photo Credit: Max Thabiso Edkins

On such a historic day we again reflect on the power of youth and we thank our #Youth4Climate partners for their great support. It was truly remarkable the passion and commitment young people present to leaders calling for the preservation of our world for this and future generations. Youth will continue to remind policy makers that they are likely the last generation who will be able to do something about climate change.

“I think it should be a thing, to have kids voices at the UN, because this is our future.” said Xiuhtezcatl Martinez in a Youth4Climate interview with Victoria Barrett

We care about climate change. We also care about your environmental stories. Therefore, we are very grateful to have received dozens of amazing photos under this week’s theme #water that showed us how much you care about climate change. As a result, we are very pleased to announce that this week we have chosen not only one, but 7 finalists: well done, Roni Akbar, Audrey Cano Bárcenas, Temitope Aderibigbe, Mahmood Dadamia, Olumide Climate Idowu, Kate Berrisfod and Marissa Malahayati. Your photos are inspiring us and, most of all, inspiring you to continue spreading the word to take action on climate change.

We do really appreciate all photos submitted, so they are featured on Connect4Climate Facebook album. We challenge you to continue to raise awareness and share your climate change story with us: next Monday - 25 April we will annouce new theme. Don't forget to follow @Connect4Climate on Instagram, using the hashtag #Photo4Climate. 

More details here.

We are very pleased to announce our first winner of #Photo4Climate Instagram Challenge: congratulations Olumide Climate Idowu. Your photo from Nigeria captures how public #health is being compromised by waste. Here is the original caption:

#ClimateChange & #Health Matters.  Ibadan (Yoruba: Ìbàdàn or fully (Ìlú) Ẹ̀bá-Ọ̀dàn, meaning 'the city at the edge of the savannah' is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area, by population, in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of over 3.5 Million, and the country's largest metropolis by geographical area.
Climate Change Is Real. Poor Management of Our Canal Exposes Healthcare Workers, Waste Handlers and The Community to Infections, toxic effects and injuries. 
Therefore "Ibadan" can and must keep the environment safe. #LetsDoMore 
#Photo4Climate #ClimateWednesday 
Location: Bode Canal, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Photo by: Me

We do really appreciate all photos submitted, so they are featured on Connect4Climate Facebook album. We challenge you to continue to raise awareness and share your climate change story with us: this week's theme is #Water. Don't forget to follow @Connect4Climate on Instagram, using the hashtag #Photo4Climate and this week's theme #Water. Finalist photo will be displayed during the Paris Agreement Signing Ceremony on 22nd April 2016 at UN Headquarters, New York.

More details here.