cristina baussan | When Winters Had Their Seasons

When Winters Had Their Seasons

This project explores the relationship between climate change and young
Salvadoran farmers migrating to the United States. As irregular rainfall
patterns change the course of winters in El Salvador, crop yield continues
to plummet. As a result, farmers’ children see little opportunities for growth
inside their communities – a feeling exacerbated by rising poverty and
unemployment rates – and decide to leave home.

In 2016, 17,500 unaccompanied Salvadoran minors were apprehended at
the border. Sixty-four percent of those deported back to El Salvador were
from the country’s rural areas, where nearly one-fifth of families are too
poor to pay for a basic food basket.

Ongoing Project

At dawn, Josue Elias, 8, buys bread from a local merchant to feed his father and older brother when they return from fishing. Most fishermen in the community work during the night as it increases their chances of catching fish and making a bigger profit.

At dawn, Josue Elias, 8, buys bread from a local merchant to feed his father and older brother when they return from fishing. Most fishermen in the community work during the night as it increases their chances of catching fish and making a bigger profit.

Beatriz Elias, 35, speaks with her son Juan Carlos, who migrated from his coastal community of La Barra de Santiago, El Salvador to the United States last November. They talk only on weekends, when Juan Carlos is off from his job as an electrician, from which he makes $14 per hour.

Beatriz Elias, 35, speaks with her son Juan Carlos, who migrated from his coastal community of La Barra de Santiago, El Salvador to the United States last
November. They talk only on weekends, when Juan Carlos is off from his job as an electrician, from which he makes $14 per hour.

Tourists visit the mangrove ecosystem of La Barra de Santiago. According to local experts, the community is impacted by local tourism as there is not enough investment in the area. "La Barra is completely forgotten," said Jose Antonio Villedas, an employee of El Salvador's ministry of environment.

Tourists visit the mangrove ecosystem of La Barra de Santiago.

According to local experts, the community is impacted by local tourism as there is not enough investment in the area. "La Barra is completely forgotten," said Jose Antonio Villedas, an employee of El Salvador's ministry of environment.

Because of rising sea levels and increased temperatures, La Barra de Santiago's mangrove ecosystem is slowly disappearing, impacting the community as a whole.

Because of rising sea levels and increased temperatures, La Barra de Santiago's mangrove ecosystem is slowly disappearing, impacting the community as a whole.

Community members help Alberto Elias, 37, count the fish he caught overnight. After more than 12 hours out at sea, Alberto Elias was only able to catch 70lbs of fish, from which he made $6.

Community members help Alberto Elias, 37, count the fish he caught overnight. After more than 12 hours out at sea, Alberto Elias was only able to catch 70lbs of fish, from which he made $6.

Josue Elias, 8, helps clean the fish that his father caught earlier in the day. Before the community began seeing changes in the fish population because of changing temperatures, fishermen made between $10 to $12 per day. Now, they barely make enough money to feed their families.

Josue Elias, 8, helps clean the fish that his father caught earlier in the day. Before the community began seeing changes in the fish population because of changing temperatures, fishermen made between $10 to $12 per day. Now, they barely make enough money to feed their families.

Alberto Elias' mother helps dry the fish he caught the night before. They sell most of their fish to local merchants or to tourists on the beach, barely making enough profit to cover the cost of gas they use for their motor boats.

Alberto Elias' mother helps dry the fish he caught the night before. They sell most of their fish to local merchants or to tourists on the beach, barely making enough profit to cover the cost of gas they use for their motor boats.

Melvin Elias (middle), 16, waits for a friend before going fishing near his home in La Barra de Santiago, El Salvador.

Melvin Elias (middle), 16, waits for a friend before going fishing near his home in La Barra de Santiago, El Salvador.

A merchant stacks bags of produce at the Central Market in San Salvador, El Salvador. Due to severe drought and unusual weather patterns, the agriculture losses create greater food insecurity for farmers and merchants alike. An estimated 16 percent of rural families not having sufficient earnings to cover the costs of the basic food basket, according to the World Food Programme.

A merchant stacks bags of produce at the Central Market in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Due to severe drought and unusual weather patterns, the agriculture losses create greater food insecurity for farmers and merchants alike. An estimated 16 percent of rural families not having sufficient earnings to cover the costs of the basic food basket, according to the World Food Programme.

Men unload a truck transporting produce from El Salvador's rural areas at the Central Market in San Salvador.

Men unload a truck transporting produce from El Salvador's rural areas at the Central Market in San Salvador.

A family collects water from a makeshift plumbing system in Tres Calles, Usulután. Being the only spring in the community, many families walk up to 2 hours in the dry season to collect water for their homes.   According to the WFP, the surge in number of unaccompanied minors who arrived to the United States from El Salvador between 2015 and 2016 is linked to the period of hightened food insecurity in the country's Dry Corridor.

A family collects water from a makeshift plumbing system in Tres Calles, Usulután. Being the only spring in the community, many families walk up to 2 hours in the dry season to collect water for their homes.

According to the WFP, the surge in number of unaccompanied minors who arrived to the United States from El Salvador between 2015 and 2016 is linked to the period of hightened food insecurity in the country's Dry Corridor.

Everilda Aguilar, 53, outside her home in Tres Calles, Usulután. After being deported from the United States in 2010, she and her husband settled in a piece of land located in El Salvador's Dry Corridor and live off the crops they manage to grow in their field.   In the past five years, they have had consecutive losses as severe drought killed most of their crops. "Here we live with nothing but we live happy and that's wealth in itself," Aguilar said.

Everilda Aguilar, 53, outside her home in Tres Calles, Usulután.

After being deported from the United States in 2010, she and her husband settled in a piece of land located in El Salvador's Dry Corridor and live off the crops they manage to grow in their field.

In the past five years, they have had consecutive losses as severe drought killed most of their crops.

"Here we live with nothing but we live happy and that's wealth in itself," Aguilar said.

Wilson Sánchez, 24, exits a bike shop in Suchitoto, El Salvador. Despite being known as one of the areas most affected by the country's civil war, which ended in 1992, Suchitoto has become an important tourist destination, providing more job opportunities for young Salvadorans migrating from the countryside to the city.

Wilson Sánchez, 24, exits a bike shop in Suchitoto, El Salvador. Despite being known as one of the areas most affected by the country's civil war, which ended in 1992, Suchitoto has become an important tourist destination, providing more job opportunities for young Salvadorans migrating from the countryside to the city.

Wilson Sánchez teaches Spanish to a group of Danish tourists. As the rainy seasons became drier due to extreme drought, the Sánchez family started losing their main source of income - corn and beans. Two years ago, Wilson began looking for professional opportunities outside the fields and found a job teaching Spanish to tourists at the Global Platform, a youth-led organization in Suchitoto, El Salvador. He earns $250/month, through which he helps his family with basic needs such as groceries and school supplies for his younger sister.

Wilson Sánchez teaches Spanish to a group of Danish tourists. As the rainy seasons became drier due to extreme drought, the Sánchez family started losing their main source of income - corn and beans. Two years ago, Wilson began looking for professional opportunities outside the fields and found a job teaching Spanish to tourists at the Global Platform, a youth-led organization in Suchitoto, El Salvador. He earns $250/month, through which he helps his family with basic needs such as groceries and school supplies for his younger sister.

When he returns home from working as a Spanish teacher for tourists, Wilson Sánchez helps his parents with field work. "Every year, things are changing because of the weather," Wilson said. "We never know if we are going to make a profit from our harvests and we can't spend our lives throwing pesticides at our crops."

When he returns home from working as a Spanish teacher for tourists, Wilson Sánchez helps his parents with field work.

"Every year, things are changing because of the weather," Wilson said. "We never know if we are going to make a profit from our harvests and we can't spend our lives throwing pesticides at our crops."

Reina Isabel Chavez works with her youngest daughter in a coffee farm in Cerro Verde, El Salvador. Born and raised in the country's coffee region, Chavez has witnessed the impact of climate change on coffee production.   Two years ago, realizing she would not be able to make a living for herself if she followed her mother's steps, Chavez's oldest daughter decided to look for better opportunities and migrated to the United States.

Reina Isabel Chavez works with her youngest daughter in a coffee farm in Cerro Verde, El Salvador. Born and raised in the country's coffee region, Chavez has witnessed the impact of climate change on coffee production.

Two years ago, realizing she would not be able to make a living for herself if she followed her mother's steps, Chavez's oldest daughter decided to look for better opportunities and migrated to the United States.

A farmer carries a bag of coffee beans in Cerro Verde, El Salvador. With rising temperatures due to climate change, coffee producers have been unable to completely recover from the loss.

A farmer carries a bag of coffee beans in Cerro Verde, El Salvador. With rising temperatures due to climate change, coffee producers have been unable to completely recover from the loss.

Farmers go through the coffee beans they picked earlier that day in Cerro Verde, El Salvador. With rising temperatures due to climate change, coffee producers have been unable to completely recover from the loss.

Farmers go through the coffee beans they picked earlier that day in Cerro Verde, El Salvador. With rising temperatures due to climate change, coffee producers have been unable to completely recover from the loss.

A view from the Long Island Railroad, somewhere in between Manhattan and Locus Valley, where the Villalobos family, who migrated from rural El Salvador in the 90s, resides. The couple migrated at the end of El Salvador's civil war when poverty in the country's rural areas escalated.

A view from the Long Island Railroad, somewhere in between Manhattan and Locus Valley, where the Villalobos family, who migrated from rural El Salvador in the 90s, resides. The couple migrated at the end of El Salvador's civil war when poverty in the country's rural areas escalated.

Erik Villalobos, 22, watches a soccer game with his younger brother, Sebastian, and his father, Guillermo Villalobos, while his mother prepares pupusas, a typical Salvadoran dish, for lunch.

Erik Villalobos, 22, watches a soccer game with his younger brother, Sebastian, and his father, Guillermo Villalobos, while his mother prepares pupusas, a typical Salvadoran dish, for lunch.

A picture of Erik's parents, María and Guillermo Villalobos, on their wedding day in Long Island. While the couple went to the same high school in Santa Ana, in El Salvador, they only became close after migrating the United States in 1993.

A picture of Erik's parents, María and Guillermo Villalobos, on their wedding day in Long Island. While the couple went to the same high school in Santa Ana, in El Salvador, they only became close after migrating the United States in 1993.

The Villalobos family gathers for lunch on Sunday afternoon, their only day off work. While Erik helps his father with his landscaping business, his mother, María Villalobos, works as a florist in a local shop.

The Villalobos family gathers for lunch on Sunday afternoon, their only day off work. While Erik helps his father with his landscaping business, his mother, María Villalobos, works as a florist in a local shop.

Erik Villalobos and his father, Guillermo Villalobos, remove trees from a parking lot in Long Island, New York. Since graduating from college last summer, Erik has been helping his dad with the landscaping business he inherited from his own father. "When I left home, I never thought I would be cutting down trees," Guillermo Villalobos said. "I came to do what I learned as a child."

Erik Villalobos and his father, Guillermo Villalobos, remove trees from a parking lot in Long Island, New York. Since graduating from college last summer, Erik has been helping his dad with the landscaping business he inherited from his own father.

"When I left home, I never thought I would be cutting down trees," Guillermo Villalobos said. "I came to do what I learned as a child."

Erik Villalobos reviews his younger brother's grades after he arrived home from school.

Erik Villalobos reviews his younger brother's grades after he arrived home from school.

The Villalobos home in Long Island, which the family decorated with Christmas lights as they do each year. "How nice would it be to have the life we have here but in El Salvador, where no one tells us we are invading their space," said Guillermo Villalobos.

The Villalobos home in Long Island, which the family decorated with Christmas lights as they do each year.

"How nice would it be to have the life we have here but in El Salvador, where no one tells us we are invading their space," said Guillermo Villalobos.

cristina baussan

Cristina Baussan is a documentary photographer and writer based in New York City.

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