NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Editor’s note: Our friends at LinkTV have launched a new World News iPad app, which is another way to discover, watch, and share international news and video. Download it for free from the app store here and find out more details in this promotional video. Hurricane Sandy’s devastation across the U.S. Eastern Seaboard has brought the reality of climate change into stark and tragic focus.

While the emphasis today is on rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts, some East Coast leaders have already begun to raise the tough question for tomorrow: How do we adapt to climate change?

In developing countries, this question is a part of daily life. From the Oxfam series, “Climate Change: Hardest Hit,” here are three stories from three continents where low-income people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. But in each of these local communities, Oxfam America is working with residents and local economic development organizations to adapt, and preserve lives and livelihoods in the process.

For example, Southern Ethiopia is being hit hard by climate change, and the region’s women often bear the brunt of hardships caused by unpredictable weather patterns and drought. But these women are reacting by empowering themselves, partnering with a local organization to share information and improve their living conditions.

Climate change in Vietnam means more frequent droughts and unpredictable weather. Farmers from Bac Ai, who have worked the land their whole lives, must adjust on the fly to shifting weather conditions. Oxfam America and the local government are helping farmers adjust by building a new reservoir and providing training sessions on new farming techniques.

Oxfam America and Pro Vida are teaming up to bring clean drinking water to rural El Salvador by building healthy wells in communities affected by contaminated surface water. Salvadorans on the frontlines of climate change are taking their futures into their own hands by helping maintain these wells for generations to come.