What Can We Learn from Rural Youth in British Columbia, Canada? Environment and Climate Change—Issues and Solutions

“What can we learn from rural youth?” was a youth-led arts-based participatory action research project carried out to understand and facilitate positive youth development in two rural communities in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Data was collected using photovoice, visual art, journal reflections, and group discussions. During the study, youth expressed a strong connection with nature for their development or wellbeing. Issues such as environmental degradation and climate change were identified as causes for concern. They discussed human responsibility for environmental stewardship both in their local communities and globally. Climate change hazards such as flood and fire, human action leading to environmental pollution, and human responsibility for environmental stewardship surfaced as issues for their development. Youth expressed a felt responsibility to act on climate change and to reduce the anthropogenic impact on the Earth. Based on youth voices, we conclude that attempts to engage youth in climate action without considering their psychosocial wellbeing, may overburden them.

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Addressing climate change from a social development approach: Small cities and rural communities’ adaptation and response to climate change in British Columbia, Canada

International Social Work ◽

10.1177/0020872814539984 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 61-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Julie Lynne Drolet ◽

Tiffany Sampson

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

British Columbia ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Social Development ◽

Social Workers ◽

Community Members ◽

Small Cities ◽

The Social ◽

Development Approach ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is having a very real impact, affecting not only ecosystems but also the socio-economic systems of small cities and rural communities. Globally, climate change is a consequential concern, since it is contributing to an increase in global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, raising sea levels, and natural hazards. Locally, the effects of climate change vary, depending upon the region, with communities experiencing the impacts of climate change differently and at various degrees. This article presents research findings from a study on climate change, disasters, and sustainable development that provide insight into the diverse perspectives of community members on climate change in six communities in the Interior and Northern regions of British Columbia, Western Canada. A common denominator between these six communities is how social development is being applied to address climate change. The concept of social development encompasses social and economic well-being. The social development approach involves processes, activities, and institutions working together to develop the social and economic capacities of individuals and communities. In particular, for social workers working with individuals, families, and communities impacted by climate change, the social development approach is effective in addressing social and economic needs. This article will examine the differing perspectives and attitudes of affected community members and the role of social development with respect to climate change adaptation and response. It will also provide suggestions on how social workers can support and apply the social development approach in communities experiencing the impacts of climate change.

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Forest health and climate change: A British Columbia perspective

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc86412-4 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 86 (4) ◽

pp. 412-422 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Alex J. Woods ◽

Don Heppner ◽

Harry H. Kope ◽

Jennifer Burleigh ◽

Lorraine Maclauchlan

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

British Columbia ◽

Mountain Pine Beetle ◽

Forest Health ◽

Forest Insects ◽

Pine Beetle ◽

The World ◽

Dothistroma Needle Blight ◽

Management Recommendations ◽

Needle Blight

BC’s forests have already faced two simultaneous, globally significant, epidemics linked to climate change; the Dothistroma needle blight epidemic in NW BC and the massive mountain pine beetle epidemic throughout the BC Interior. Building on these experiences, we have compiled our best estimates of how we believe other forest health agents may behave as climate change continues to influence our forests. We have drawn on literature from around the world but have focused on the situation in BC. We have made management recommendations based on what we have seen so far and what we expect to come.Key words: climate change, forest health, forest insects, forest pathogens, forest management, British Columbia

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“My coupons are like gold”: experiences and perceived outcomes of low-income adults participating in the British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021001567 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-30

Author(s):

Stéphanie Caron-Roy ◽

Sayeeda Amber Sayed ◽

Katrina Milaney ◽

Bonnie Lashewicz ◽

Sharlette Dunn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Low Income ◽

Well Being ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

Farmers Markets ◽

Social Connections ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Program Outcomes ◽

Farmers Market

ABSTRACT Objective: The British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program (FMNCP) provides low-income households with coupons valued at $21/week for 16 weeks to purchase healthy foods in farmers’ markets. Our objective was to explore FMNCP participants’ experiences of accessing nutritious foods, and perceived program outcomes. Design: This study used qualitative description methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with FMNCP participants during the 2019 farmers’ market season. Directed content analysis was used to analyse the data whereby the five domains of Freedman et al’s framework of nutritious food access provided the basis for an initial coding scheme. Data that did not fit within the framework’s domains were coded inductively. Setting: One urban and two rural communities in British Columbia, Canada. Participants: 28 adults who were participating in the FMNCP. Results: Three themes emerged: Autonomy and Dignity; Social Connections and Community Building; and Environmental and Programmatic Constraints. Firstly, the program promoted a sense of autonomy and dignity through financial support, increased access to high-quality produce, food-related education and skill development, and mitigating stigma and shame. Secondly, shopping in farmers’ markets increased social connections and fostered a sense of community. Finally, participants experienced limited food variety in rural farmers’ markets, lack of transportation, and challenges with redeeming coupons. Conclusions: Participation in the FMNCP facilitated access to nutritious foods and enhanced participants’ diet quality, well-being and health. Strategies such as increasing the amount and duration of subsidies, and expanding programs may help improve participants’ experiences and outcomes of farmers’ market food subsidy programs.

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Climate change, cyclone and rural communities: Understanding people's perceptions and adaptations in rural eastern India

Materials Today Proceedings ◽

10.1016/j.matpr.2021.02.384 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Subhashree Mohapatra ◽

V.S.K.V. Harish ◽

Gaurav Dwivedi

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Eastern India ◽

People’S Perceptions

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The how tough is WASH framework for assessing the climate resilience of water and sanitation

npj Clean Water ◽

10.1038/s41545-021-00130-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Guy Howard ◽

Anisha Nijhawan ◽

Adrian Flint ◽

Manish Baidya ◽

Maria Pregnolato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Universal Access ◽

Small Towns ◽

Water And Sanitation ◽

Middle Income ◽

Sanitation Services ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Measurement Framework ◽

Low And Middle Income

AbstractClimate change presents a major threat to water and sanitation services. There is an urgent need to understand and improve resilience, particularly in rural communities and small towns in low- and middle-income countries that already struggle to provide universal access to services and face increasing threats from climate change. To date, there is a lack of a simple framework to assess the resilience of water and sanitation services which hinders the development of strategies to improve services. An interdisciplinary team of engineers and environmental and social scientists were brought together to investigate the development of a resilience measurement framework for use in low- and middle-income countries. Six domains of interest were identified based on a literature review, expert opinion, and limited field assessments in two countries. A scoring system using a Likert scale is proposed to assess the resilience of services and allow analysis at local and national levels to support improvements in individual supplies, identifying systematic faults, and support prioritisation for action. This is a simple, multi-dimensional framework for assessing the resilience of rural and small-town water and sanitation services in LMICs. The framework is being further tested in Nepal and Ethiopia and future results will be reported on its application.

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Generational Portrait of Spanish Society in the Face of Climate Change. A Question to Consider for the Green Economy under the Well-Being Approach

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14040807 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 807

Author(s):

María-José Foncubierta-Rodríguez ◽

Rafael Ravina-Ripoll ◽

José Antonio López-Sánchez

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Human Action ◽

European Social Survey ◽

Green Economy ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Spanish Society ◽

The Face ◽

Two Phases

Climate change is emerging as an issue of progressive attention, and therefore awareness, in societies. In this work, the problem is addressed from a generational perspective in Spanish society and is carried out from the approaches of awareness, human action, and self-responsibility. All this from the search of the subjective well-being and the citizens’ happiness, as one of the bases of sustainable development initiatives. With data from the European Social Survey R8, from EUROSTAT, we work in two phases: (1) descriptive and inferential on possible associations of the items with the variable Age, and (2) calculation of probabilities between groups through logistic regression. The results confirm a general awareness, but with apparent statistical differences between age groups. In general, the youngest are the most aware, blame human activity most intensely, are the most concerned, and are the most willing to act. And it is the older people who are less aware of all these issues. Based on this finding, and from the approach mentioned above, it is recommended that leaders, both in the macroeconomic and microeconomic sectors, develop initiatives that sensitize and encourage older age groups.

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