People walk along a raised road in Gabura surrounded by damaged houses, dying trees and saline fields. Gabura was badly affected by Cyclone Aila that struck on May 25th 2009. Villagers were washed away by a tidal surge leaving many people homeless and their fields saline and unusable to grow crops. People survive by day labour or fishing and crabbing. Caritas provided 600 homes, rebuilt roads and fresh water supplies.

People from Gabura on the embankments they fled to and have been living on since Cyclone Aila.

Noren Sardar (67) who is married to Shita Dashi with 3 daughters and 2 sons from the fishing village of Jelepara. Noren's children go to the Caritas Environmental School. The traditional fishing communities are looked down on by wider society and often the children are not accepted into the local schools. Before the school was opened his children used to help him out on his boat and with domestic duties.

A fresh water canal in Shyamnagar. Due to the high rate of salinity in the surrounding soil due to shrimp farming, sea level rises and tidal surges during cyclones very little grows without this critical fresh water supplies. The canals also get contaminated with sea water during tidal surges in cyclones and have to cleaned and re excavated.

(Left) Sujan Sadar (8) grandson of fisherman Noren Sardar rowing his fathers fishing boat with Sujan Sadar (8), grandson of Noren Sadar. Before the school was built they would have had no access to education. The traditional fishing communities are looked down on by wider society and often the children are not accepted into the local schools. Instead they would be working on the fishing boats or domestic duties at home full time. Caritas established the school here in 2000. Before then, there were few opportunities for children from this area to be educated. Along with the usual subjects they are taught environmental subjects and about climate change to help them prepare for the future.

Shrimp farms in Shyamnagar. Due to the high rate of sea water needed and the salinity of the surrounding soil very little else grows around the shrimp farms. They have been ecologically disastrous for the environment in this region and salinity is increasing due to sea level rises and tidal surges during cyclones.

Gusto Gupal (37) next to his fresh water pond and vegetable garden in the village of East Jelekhali. The Gupal family received training and assistance as part of the program detailed below to help them adapt their land to farm rice, vegetables and fish after their land was flooded with saline water during Cyclone Aila in 2009.

Gusto Gupal (37) working in his rice field in the village of East Jelekhali. He is planting rice seedlings that were planted 25-30 days previously in another field. They are then transplanted into this field for around 3 months before harvesting.

Two woman walk along a raised road in Gabura carrying fresh water pots surrounded by damaged houses, dying trees and saline fields. Gabura was badly affected by Cyclone Aila that struck on May 25th 2009. Villagers were washed away by a tidal surge leaving many people homeless and their fields saline and unusable to grow crops. People survive by day labour or fishing and crabbing.

Nurjahan Sheik (30) and her daughter Runa (2) in Sura village in Gabura. They along with the rest of their village had to flee when Cyclone Aila destroyed it. They have resettled by the embankments of the Kholpetua River for the past 2 years. They hope to return one day but with no money and no recontruction of their village they are not hopeful.

Views from the top of Cyclone Shelter in Gabura built by Caritas in 1992. It now doubles as Darussunmat Daichil Madrasa with 375 students which has close to 50% girls and boys attending. Girls and boys during morning exercise classes on the playing field. Gabura was badly affected by Cyclone Aila that struck on May 25th 2009. Villagers were washed away by a tidal surge leaving many people homeless and their fields saline.

Rice farming.

People going to work through the rice fields and shrimp farms early morning on a foggy day in Shyamnagar.

Sujan Sadar (8) rowing his fathers fishing boat. The traditional fishing communities are looked down on by wider society and often the children are not accepted into the local schools. Before the school was built they would have had no access to education.Instead they would be working on the fishing boats or domestic duties at home full time.

Novice monks and students at Wat Fa Wiang from Shan State in burma line up for their lunch at 12pm. The won't eat again until the next morning. Many Shan people fled Burma and took refuge in the monastery after heavy fighting in this area in 2002 between the Shan State Army and the Burmese Government.

Many Shan people fled Burma and took refuge in the monastery after heavy fighting in this area in 2002 between the Shan State Army and the Burmese Government.

Novice monks and students at Wat Fa Wiang.

Novice monks and students at the Sangha Metta Project. They are also taught how to grow rice and be self sufficient.

A Burmese soldier looks across the border into Wat Fa Wiang from what used to be a dormitory for a number of novice monks. The monastery lost this part of the building after heavy fighting in this area in 2002 between the Shan Sate Army and the Burmese Government. Many Shan people fled Burma and took refuge in the monastery.

View from Thailand over the Golden Triangle with Burma on the left and Laos on the right. Northern Thailand and the borderlands between Burma and Laos are home to a number of stateless hill tribes and is renown for drug smuggling and human trafficking.

A Thai military check point in Piang Luang. They are mostly looking for drugs and arms but also illegal immigrants and human trafficking.

A women looks out of a bus at a Thai military check point in Piang Luang. They are mostly looking for drugs and arms but also illegal immigrants and human trafficking

Students from Darussunmat Daichil Madrasa in Gabura, south West Bangladesh exercise on the playing field next to the cyclone shelter that doubles as their school. Gabura, which is one of the most climate change affected zones in the world was badly damaged by Cyclone Aila that struck on May 25th 2009. Villagers were washed away by a tidal surge leaving many people homeless and their fields saline. The shelter is a lifeline for many of the residents each cyclone season.© Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia