Climate Resilience - AKF
A forest planted by AKF with support from the local community in Roshtqala District, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, Tajikistan.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
A forest planted by AKF with support from the local community in Roshtqala District, Gorno-Badakhshan …
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
In rural India, AKRSP is helping communities to adopt organic farming practices to grow vegetables such as tomatoes, okra, bitter gourd, aubergine, pigeon pea and different kinds of lentils.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
In rural India, AKRSP is helping communities to adopt organic farming practices to grow vegetables such as …
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Climate Resilience
Between 1982 and 2025, AKF planted over 87 million trees.
AKF supports communities to adapt to climate change through resilient ecosystems, clean energy and sustainable resource management.
In a situation where global carbon dioxide emissions have risen by roughly 75 percent since 1990, the effects of climate change are being felt most sharply in some of the poorest parts of the world. Global wheat yields are already around 10 percent lower than they would have been in a stable climate, and the heatwaves, droughts and floods driving that loss fall hardest on the farming communities least able to absorb a bad season.
The Aga Khan Foundation assists communities in Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Kenya, the Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Portugal, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Uganda to increase their resilience to climate change. We work in particular with residents of mountains, coastal areas and plains, who are often underserved by mainstream programmes and may be at increased risk. Worldwide, for example, over a million people living near coasts have been forced from their homes due to rising seas and stronger storms. Millions more are expected to flee in the coming years.
We carry out our work by raising awareness of the issues and solutions, helping establish protective and climate-responsive infrastructure, and protecting and enriching the natural environment. We support small-scale clean energy generation and catalyse eco-friendly enterprises and employment.
In India, AKRSP organises monthly demonstrations to show cotton farmers how to farm sustainably, preparing bio pesticide as well as organic compost (above), fertilizer and repellents amongst other things.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Adaptation and Mitigation in Diverse Ecosystems
We work with rural communities in mountains, coastal areas and plains to strengthen their resilience towards climate change.
We support awareness-raising and education about:
- climate resilience;
- coping strategies in different ecosystems;
- community-led climate resilience plans at the village and regional levels;
- environmental change tracking;
- representation of women in decision making processes; and
- incorporation of gender perspectives in programme design.
We help to establish:
- protective and climate-responsive infrastructure;
- sustainable water management and efficient irrigation systems (including solar irrigation);
- local production and availability of climate-adapted inputs;
- agricultural and non-agricultural diversification such as enterprises which promote climate resilience; and
- climate-smart and gender-sensitive innovations.
In 2025, AKF supported irrigation across nearly 25,000 hectares of land.
We seek to build a more resilient natural environment in various ecosystems. This includes:
- building the available biomass;
- helping communities better manage biodiversity of soils, water, crops and livestock;
- facilitating tree planting, forest regeneration and micro forests;
- promoting regenerative, climate-smart agriculture and livestock;
- encouraging local management and governance of natural resources;
- providing clean and renewable energy; and
- recognising gender differences in building resilience capabilities amongst women and men.
In Madagascar, AKF is working with rural households to adopt biogas as an alternative to cooking fuel. This biodigester breaks down cattle waste to produce renewable fuel for Mrs Martinique’s kitchen appliances, eliminating the need to burn firewood.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Clean Energy
We support small-scale community-based energy generation solutions. These provide access to clean energy for domestic and commercial uses, such as off-grid micro hydel projects under one megawatt. These energy units typically are owned and managed by the community and complement larger-scale AKDN energy initiatives by extending coverage of electricity to underserved and remote areas. We also promote clean energy technologies beyond hydroelectricity, including solar irrigation and other solutions linked to key economic sectors such as agriculture.
Building on the experience of small-scale community-managed energy projects, we test new business models and approaches to increase the efficiency, management and financial viability of relatively larger energy projects. This includes transforming up to one megawatt capacity generation units into community and private utilities, deploying blended capital, and testing contextually relevant digital pre-payment solutions. In Central Asia, we work closely with Pamir Energy to address energy needs in areas where our traditional micro-hydel activities are not available or where new energy solutions are required.
We have established over 50 megawatts of clean energy, primarily in mountain ecosystems. This has significantly reduced the pressure on forests. In 2025, AKF installed 7.35 megawatts of clean energy capacity through solar and hydro assets, improving energy access and reducing carbon emissions of over 134,000 people and 638 enterprises.