About 10 million small, resource-poor rice farmers are now planting
climate-smart rice varieties, which includes flood-tolerant varieties.
Climate-smart rice varieties are made to especially thrive in environments
affected by flooding, drough, cold temperatures, and soils that contain too
much salt or iron. One of these varieties is Swarna-Sub 1, a flood-tolerant
rice variety developed by scientists at the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI).

According to Mr. Trilochan Parida, a rice farmer in Odisha, India,
Swarna-Sub1 changed his life. Flooding is a major problem of Parida every
year. In 2008, he planted Swarna-Sub1 and saw his rice plants rise back to
life after being under flood waters for two weeks.

More farmers are expected to overcome the impact of climate change in rice
production. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will fund the third phase of
the IRRI-led Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) project
with USD 32.77 million for five more years.

[irri.org]