Forces of Nature
- Photography byRipple Effect Images
A mother mourns the loss of her son, who drowned in the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh. Any rise in ocean levels represents a grave danger to the country, which is home to the massive estuary delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.
Photo by Ami Vitale
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 3 billion people use inefficient cook stoves fueled by wood, coal or dung to prepare meals, which create smoke that, along with smoke from open fires, causes 1.9 million deaths each year.
Photo by Ami Vitale
Barefoot College in Rajasthan, India, helps train women to build and repair solar panels. This former student runs a solar desalinization plant that brings fresh water to her village.
Photo by Annie Griffiths
A Kenyan girl holds plant seedlings outside her school as part of the International Small Group Tree Planting Program, which led to the growth of millions of trees. The project helped her learn that trees are valuable, not just for firewood and home building, but also for purifying the air, conserving soil and building community.
Photo by Lynn Johnson
Cement-splattered hands show the dedication of the people of Ilalambyu Village. More than 170 villagers came together to build a dam and restore a water supply altered by climate change.
Photo by Lynn Johnson
A Cambodian woman grins with joy after receiving food assistance from Church World Service following the devastating flood of 2011.
Photo by Annie Griffiths
Ripple Effect Images, a collective of photojournalists, emphasizes the strength and perseverance of women and girls facing climate change and the programs that are helping them thrive. 
To learn more, visit rippleeffectimages.org.
A version of this image gallery originally appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of Momentum magazine, Ensia’s predecessor.