scholarly journals Alternative Entry Points for Adaptation: Examples from Vanuatu

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-22
Author(s):  
Ross Westoby ◽  
Rachel Clissold ◽  
Karen E. McNamara
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Technical College ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Entry Points

AbstractAs climate change accelerates, effective adaptation is an urgent and unavoidable priority. Bottom-up approaches such as community-based adaptation have been portrayed as the panacea. Recent studies are, however, highlighting the ongoing and inherent issues with normative “community” conceptualizations that assume a geographically bound, temporally fixed, and harmonious unit. Despite documentation on the negative impact these problematic assumptions can have on adaptation outcomes, adaptation at the community scale remains the preferred option for project delivery in highly exposed places such as the Pacific Islands region. More creative entry points that are less charged with problematic assumptions are needed at the local scale. This paper draws from three examples in Vanuatu to offer compelling alternative entry points for adaptation: 1) a rural technical college embedded within an Anglican mission village, 2) a whole-of-island approach, and 3) the “collective of vendors” at marketplaces. We offer hope by identifying ways to expand on and complement existing, restricted notions of community and, through this, to improve adaptation outcomes.

scholarly journals Exploring the policy environment for mainstreaming community-based adaptation (CBA) in Nepal

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bimal Raj Regmi ◽  
Cassandra Star
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Community Based Adaptation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed light onto the policy context of mainstreaming community-based adaptation (CBA) in Nepal. Scaling up CBA needs strong policy support. Design/methodology/approach – The content and processes of Nepal’s development policies and climate change policies and programmes were examined. The policy analysis was supported by a literature review, review of policy documents and interviews and discussions undertaken with policy-makers, practitioners and communities. Findings – Findings show that despite a lack of clear focus on climate change, the decentralization provisions and bottom-up practices within Nepal’s development policies and plans could be the entry points for mainstreaming CBA. However, experience shows that decentralization alone is insufficient because it benefits only a few institutions and individuals, while marginalizing the real beneficiaries. One of the policy conditions to mainstreaming CBA in development is to ensure that there are specific provisions for decentralization and inclusive devolution that can provide power and authority to local institutions and communities to make independent decisions and benefit the needy. There should also be mandatory legal provisions, endorsed by a country’s government, for an inclusive, citizen-centric, participatory and bottom-up policy-making process that involves the most vulnerable households and communities. Originality/value – This paper is of relevance to policy-makers and practitioners in Nepal seeking to make informed policy decisions on effectively mainstreaming CBA into development. The analysis provided of the synergy and trade-offs within existing policy provisions and processes can be used to guide the government and stakeholders in Nepal and other least developed countries (LDCs) in creating favorable national- and local-level policies and action plans.

scholarly journals Communicating climate change in the Pacific using a bottom-up approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha Sundar Harris
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Participatory Media ◽  
Discursive Space ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
The Pacific

While scientific evidence in support of climate change is growing, awareness and education about its effects, especially among vulnerable communities, is lacking, due to language and cultural barriers. Communities are unlikely to respond to government policies promoting mitigation and adaptation strategies without an improved perception of climate change risk at a local level. Mapping the flow of information between decision makers and citizens is an important part of this process. This article broadly explores the communication channels that are being used for awareness and knowledge sharing in the Pacific. At its core, the article discusses a way in which participatory media has been piloted to enable community discussion about issues around climate change in the Pacific Islands. The ‘bottom-up’ approach encourages participation of marginalised groups such as women, youth, and people with disabilities who bring diverse perspectives in content creation. This discursive space enables citizens to share knowledge and acquire better understanding of the impacts on livelihood and culture. However, a strong community network and consistent mentoring support are prerequisites for participatory media to have long term benefits.

Community-based action in Fiji’s Gau Island: a model for the Pacific?

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Remling ◽  
Joeli Veitayaki
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
The Pacific

Purpose Drawing on qualitative fieldwork on a remote outer island in Fiji, this paper aims to address a shortcoming in the literature on climate adaptation in the Pacific. Internationally community-based adaptation (CBA) is recognised as a promising approach to help vulnerable populations adjust to climate change. However, with pilot projects in their infancy documented experience for Pacific Islands remains scarce. This limits the ability of the region – faced with persisting development challenges and predicted significant climate impacts – to learn from and build on previous experiences and develop robust responses to climate change. Design/methodology/approach By using a community-based initiative in response to environmental challenges and unsustainable development as a proxy, the paper interrogates the potential usefulness of the CBA framework for the Pacific and identifies potential strengths and weaknesses. Sketching out the process and its outcomes, it shows how the initiative has resulted in a diversity of strategies, ranging from pollution control measures, to improved governance of resources and community participation in decision making, to livelihood and income diversification. Findings Findings indicate that CBA could have a lot of potential for building more resilient communities in the face of climate change and other pressures associated with modernising Pacific societies. However, to be effective, interventions should pay attention to people’s development aspirations; immediate economic, social and environmental benefits; dynamics of village governance, social rules and protocols; and traditional forms of knowledge that can inform sustainable solutions. Originality/value The conclusions provide a reflection on the CBA framework in general and make concrete suggestions for practitioners on how the framework could be usefully implemented in the Pacific context.

scholarly journals Power, the Pacific Islands, and the Prestige Press: A Case Study of How Climate Reporting is Influenced by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Summits

2021 ◽  
pp. 194016122110180
Author(s):  
Meghan M. Shea ◽  
James Painter ◽  
Shannon Osaka
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Emotional Appeals ◽  
Issue Attention ◽  
Quantitative Results

While studies have investigated UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings as drivers of climate change reporting as well as the geopolitical role of Pacific Islands in these international forums, little research examines the intersection: how media coverage of Pacific Islands and climate change (PICC) may be influenced by, or may influence, UNFCCC meetings. We analyze two decades of reporting on PICC in American, British, and Australian newspapers—looking at both volume and content of coverage—and expand the quantitative results with semi-structured interviews with journalists and Pacific stakeholders. Issue attention on PICC increases and the content changes significantly in the periods around UNFCCC meetings, with shifts from language about vulnerability outside of UNFCCC periods to language about agency and solutions. We explore the implications of these differences in coverage for both agenda setting and the amplification of emotional appeals in UNFCCC contexts.

scholarly journals Perspectives of artist–practitioners on the communication of climate change in the Pacific

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Capstick ◽  
Sarah Hemstock ◽  
Ruci Senikula
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Research Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of the visual arts for communicating climate change in the context of the Pacific islands, through the perspectives of artists and climate change practitioners. Design/methodology/approach As part of an “Eco Arts” project carried out in Fiji, semi-structured research interviews were undertaken with artists and climate change practitioners. Findings Participants’ motivations to produce art reflected their personal concerns about, and experiences of, climate change. There was an intention to use art-based approaches to raise awareness and promote action on climate change. The artwork produced drew on metaphors and storytelling to convey future climate impacts and aspects of climate change relevant to Fijian and Pacific communities. Research limitations/implications The study reports the perspectives of participants and discusses the potential uses of arts communication. Conclusions cannot be drawn from the findings regarding the effectiveness of specific artwork or of arts communication as a general approach. Practical implications The research offers suggestions for the inclusion of creative approaches to climate change communication within education and vocational training. A consideration of the perspectives of artist–practitioners has implications for the design and conduct of climate change communication. Social implications The involvement of artist–practitioners in the communication of climate change offers the potential for novel discussions and interpretations of climate change with individuals and within communities, which complement more formal or scientific communication. Originality/value The present study identifies the motivations and objectives of artist–practitioners involved in climate change communication. The authors highlight the role of personal experience and their use of artistic concepts and creative considerations pertinent to the geography and culture of the Pacific region.

Impact of Climate Change on Rural Livelihood: A Case Study of Central Rajasthan

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-27
Author(s):  
Saifuddin Soz ◽  
Dhananjay Mankar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The People ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Rural Livelihood ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Impact

Climate change is already bringing tremendous influence on people’s lives, particularly the underprivileged. It’s already visible in a variety of ways. In recent decades, Asia and the Pacific have seen consistent warming trends as well as more frequent and powerful extreme weather events such as droughts, cyclones, floods, and hailstorms. This study was done in Ajmer District of Rajasthan, to find out the climate variation in the last 10 years. The study describes the effects due to climate change on the livelihoods of the people, so a descriptive research design was used for the study to find out the impact of climate change on rural livelihood in central Rajasthan. The study is based on a large representative of sample, quantitative data was collected to gain an idea of the impact on the livelihoods due to climate change at the household level. It shows the negative impact of climate change on rural livelihood which forced the people to change their livelihood directly or indirectly. It was found that climate change had an impact on people’s lives and people do understand the variation in climate change in terms of changes in the weather, unseasonal rain, and drought.

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