Weaving strands of knowledge. Learning about environmental change in the Bhutan Himalayas

Climate change is a complex phenomenon, so much so that even those with expert knowledge on the scientific data struggle to understand the impacts of climate change on their everyday lives. Contradictions across systems of knowledge make clear that climate change is not just a problem of scientific understanding but is also simultaneously a problem of global coordination as well as a sociopolitical problem of connecting domains of knowledge that are seldom valued equitably. The project described in this paper is a prototype effort to put knowledge from community members in two culturally distinct rural areas of the world at equal footing with scientific knowledge. The overarching project aim was to design partnership-based inquiry into environmental and climate change that coordinated the aforementioned three facets of climate change (a) scientific understanding, (b) cross-cultural coordination among globally dispersed communities, and (c) sociopolitical equity in bringing nondominant perspectives to the table.

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Climate Change and Rural Livelihoods in the Lawra District of Ghana. A Qualitative Based Study

European Scientific Journal ESJ ◽

10.19044/esj.2017.v13n11p160 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 160

Author(s):

Abdul-Rahim Abdulai ◽

Marshal K. Ziemah ◽

Paul Boniface Akaabre

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Rural Livelihoods ◽

Community Members ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

The People ◽

Development Programming ◽

And Coping ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is a growing threat to the world's poorest and most vulnerable living in rural areas. The impacts of climate change challenge efforts to reducing poverty and hence, will require new approaches to focus development programming on the changing realities of the world. Understanding how the impacts of climate change affect the people, and their knowledge and experience in coping with it will assist in identifying appropriate strategies for adaptation to it. This paper thus examined the impacts of climate change on livelihoods of rural communities in the Upper West region of Ghana and the challenges posed to efforts at reducing poverty in the area. Discussions on vulnerability to climate variability and adaptation issues in this paper focused on evidence observed by 10 communities in the Lawra District. Adopting a qualitative approach, ten focused group discussions were organized to gather data. Specific issues discussed surrounded evidence of climate change in the communities, its impacts, underlying causes of vulnerability to climate and coping strategies employed by community members. Based on the discussions, the paper recommends the need to develop and intensify effective institutional mechanisms to facilitate community adaptation measures, awareness raising (creation) on anti-environments practices in communities, institution of bye and customary laws to regulate human anti-environmental activities, and the implementation of adaptation projects to aid communities cope with the major impacts of climate change in the district and world at large.

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The role of youth in the climate change debate

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.158 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

P Van Den Hazel

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Young People ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Business Leaders ◽

Sustainable Lifestyles ◽

Raising Awareness ◽

The World ◽

The Face ◽

Indirect Impacts ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract The impacts of climate change are not distributed equally. Some people will experience natural disasters first hand, some will be affected more gradually over time, and some will experience only indirect impacts. There are data from the United nations that show the interest of youth on climate change. Close to half a million youth around the world have taken action on climate change through SGP [small grants programmes] projects in their homes, schools and communities. (UNDP, 2015). 84% of the surveyed young people agree that they need more information to prevent climate change. (UNEP, 2011). Furthermore, about 73% of surveyed youth say they currently feel the effects climate change. (UNEP, GlobeScan Survey, 2008). Some 89% of youth respondents say young people can make a difference on climate change. [UNEP, 2008]. But only 9% of youth are very confident the world will act quickly enough to address climate change. [UNEP, 2008]. Young people are key actors in raising awareness, running educational programmes, promoting sustainable lifestyles, conserving nature, supporting renewable energy, adopting environmentally-friendly practices and implementing adaptation and mitigation projects[UNFCCC]. Action by youth, as protest school strikes or speeches to the UN by Greta Thunberg, urge immediate action from governments, business leaders and school leaders. There are different reasons for this action by youth. The psycho-social impacts of a changing climate are generally under lighted in these reasons. Are the responses by society enough to minimize suffering and promote resilience of youth in the face of the challenging impacts of climate change? Or do governments and businesses enough while they increasingly seem to be moving toward action on climate change, as they proclaim to cut their own emissions or be active in their energy transition? It is not clear whether those actions are enough to satisfy the next generation of customers, employees and decision makers.

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Climate, ticks and disease

10.1079/9781789249637.0000 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Disease Ecology ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Expert Opinions ◽

The World ◽

Host Pathogen ◽

The Future ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract This book is a collection of 77 expert opinions arranged in three sections. Section 1 on "Climate" sets the scene, including predictions of future climate change, how climate change affects ecosystems, and how to model projections of the spatial distribution of ticks and tick-borne infections under different climate change scenarios. Section 2 on "Ticks" focuses on ticks (although tick-borne pathogens creep in) and whether or not changes in climate affect the tick biosphere, from physiology to ecology. Section 3 on "Disease" focuses on the tick-host-pathogen biosphere, ranging from the triangle of tick-host-pathogen molecular interactions to disease ecology in various regions and ecosystems of the world. Each of these three sections ends with a synopsis that aims to give a brief overview of all the expert opinions within the section. The book concludes with Section 4 (Final Synopsis and Future Predictions). This synopsis attempts to summarize evidence provided by the experts of tangible impacts of climate change on ticks and tick-borne infections. In constructing their expert opinions, contributors give their views on what the future might hold. The final synopsis provides a snapshot of their expert thoughts on the future.

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Possible adaptation measures of agriculture sector in the Nile Delta to climate change impacts

Advances in Science and Research ◽

10.5194/asr-3-123-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 123-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S. M. Attaher ◽

M. A. Medany ◽

A. F. Abou-Hadid

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Nile Delta ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Yield Reduction ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Delta Region ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Agriculture Sector ◽

The World ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract. The overall agricultural system in the Nile Delta region is considered as one of the highest intensive and complicated agriculture systems in the world. According to the recent studies, the Nile Delta region is one of the highly vulnerable regions in the world to climate change. Sea level rise, soil and water degradation, undiversified crop-pattern, yield reduction, pests and disease severity, and irrigation and drainage management were the main key factors that increased vulnerability of the agriculture sector in that region. The main objective of this study is to conduct a community-based multi-criteria adaptation assessment in the Nile Delta using a preset questionnaire. A list of possible adaptation measures for agriculture sector was evaluated. The results indicated that the Nile Delta growers have strong perceptions to act positively to reduce the impacts of climate change. They reflected the need to improve the their adaptive capacity based on clear scientific message with adequate governmental support to coop with the negative impacts of climate change.

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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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Organizing the Challenges Faced by Municipalities while Formulating Climate Change Adaptation Plans

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12031203 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 1203 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Asako Iwami ◽

Takanori Matsui ◽

Michinori Kimura ◽

Kenshi Baba ◽

Mitsuru Tanaka

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Local Governments ◽

Climate Changes ◽

Climate Modeling ◽

Paris Agreement ◽

Information Platform ◽

Climate Risks ◽

The World ◽

Municipal Level ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

As the effects of climate change increase in severity, organizations across the world are attempting to measures to mitigate these effects. In accordance with the Paris Agreement of November 2015, wherein participating nations agreed to restrict the increase in global temperature below 2 °C, Japan has formulated guidelines on creating adaptation plans that can be implemented by local governments. A Climate Change Adaptive Information Platform was also launched to promote understanding and cooperation by sharing information on climate risks. However, the literature on this topic lacks information related to the organization of requirements and challenges faced by municipal administrative officials that formulate adaptation plans. To address these issues, we examined the four municipal forums hosted at Hosei University to encourage administrative needs for new technological ideas in areas such as climate modeling and impact assessment. We used text mining on the transcripts of the various workshops conducted in these forums and attempted to understand the changes in discussions and to extract issues related to the formulation process. The results showed that various topics, such as creating adaptation promotion systems, assessing the impacts of climate change, formulating adaptation plans, communicating with related organizations and stakeholders, developing human resources, and capacity building, were discussed, and a need for information, procedures, and assistance was identified for the formulation of feasible adaptation plans. This study is expected to provide a useful reference to stakeholders involved in framing adaptation plans to mitigate the effects of climate changes, particularly at the municipal level.

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Cambial phenology in Abies pindrow (Pinaceae) along an altitudinal gradient in northwestern Himalaya

IAWA Journal ◽

10.1163/22941932-bja10007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 186-201

Author(s):

Rayees Malik ◽

Sergio Rossi ◽

Raman Sukumar

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Altitudinal Gradient ◽

Cell Formation ◽

Growing Season ◽

Wood Formation ◽

Warming Climate ◽

The World ◽

Abies Pindrow ◽

The Himalaya ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract Climate change is expected to be heterogeneous across the world, with high impacts on the Himalayan ecosystems. There is a need to precisely document cambial phenology and wood formation in these regions to better understand climate-growth relationships and how trees face a warming climate. This study describes the dynamics of cambial phenology in pindrow fir (Abies pindrow) along its altitudinal gradient in the Himalaya. The stages of xylem phenology, and the duration and rate of wood formation were assessed from anatomical observations during the growing season from samples collected weekly from three sites at various altitudes (2392–2965 m a.s.l.) over two years. There were significant differences in the duration and rate of cell formation along the altitudinal gradient, which decreased at increasing altitudes. The growing season duration decreased by 5.2 and 3.7 days every 100 m of increase in altitude in 2014 and 2015, respectively, while the rate of cell formation decreased from 0.38 and 0.44 cells /day to 0.29 and 0.34 cells/day in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Cell production decreased from 63.3 and 67.0 cells to 38.3 and 45.2 cells with a decrease of 4.3 and 3.8 cells per 100 m increase in altitude in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The higher precipitation in 2015 increased the growth rate and resulted in a higher xylem production. Our findings give new insights into the dynamics of cambial phenology and help in better understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on tree growth and forest productivity of Himalayan forests.

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Perceived Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategy of Indigenous Community (Chepangs) in Rural Mid-hills of Nepal

Forestry: Journal of Institute of Forestry, Nepal ◽

10.3126/forestry.v16i0.28353 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 48-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pragya Khanal ◽

Bishnu H. Wagle ◽

Suraj Upadhaya ◽

Prayash Ghimire ◽

Suman Acharya

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Local Level ◽

National Level ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Adaptation Strategy ◽

Adaptation Strategies ◽

Marginalized Communities ◽

Indigenous Group ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is projected to increase in vulnerable areas of the world, and marginalized communities residing in rural areas are more vulnerable to the change. The perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies made by such communities are important considerations in the design of adaptation strategies by policy-makers. We examined the most marginalized indigenous group "Chepang" communities' perceptions towards this change, variability, and their attitudes to adaptations and adapted coping measures in mid-hills of Nepal. We interviewed 155 individuals from two Chepang communities, namely, Shaktikhor and Siddhi in Chitwan district of Nepal. We also analyzed biophysical data to assess the variability. The findings showed that the Chepang community has experienced significant impacts of climate change and variability. They attributed crop disease, insect infestation, human health problem, and weather-related disaster as the impacts of climate change. Strategies they have adopted in response to the change are the use of intense fertilizers in farmland, hybrid seeds cultivation, crop diversification, etc. Local level and national level adaptation policies need to be designed and implemented as soon as possible to help climate vulnerable communities like Chepangs to cope against the impacts of climate change.

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Yup’ik perspectives on climate change: “The world is following its people”

Études/Inuit/Studies ◽

10.7202/045404ar ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 55-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ann Fienup-Riordan

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Cultural History ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Community Members ◽

Weather Patterns ◽

The World ◽

Ice Conditions ◽

Younger Generation ◽

Do So

Abstract The Nelson Island Natural and Cultural History Project originated in the desire of community members in the Yup’ik villages of Chefornak, Nightmute, Toksook Bay, Tununak, and Newtok to document and share their history with their younger generation. To do so, they invited non-Native scientists to join them in village gatherings as well as on a three-week circumnavigation of Nelson Island (Alaska), during which elders reflected on changes in weather patterns, animal migrations, sea-ice conditions, and related harvesting activities. To date, a defining feature of our conversations has been the integrated way in which information is shared and elders’ reticence to distinguish between human impacts on the environment and the “natural” effects of climate change.

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'Islands of excellence’ in catastrophe & disaster risk data, tools and services in the face of the climate change crisis – how can innovation systems advance stakeholder understanding and use of catastrophe and disaster sciences?

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-18571 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tracy Irvine

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Insurance Industry ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Academic Institutions ◽

The World ◽

The Face ◽

Innovation Approach ◽

Systems Transformation ◽

Science Innovation

New catastrophe and disaster risk data, tools and services can often include complex science and algorithms that offer profoundly important information on understanding risk or can inform climate adaption. However, if few people know about or understand how and in what context to use these tools, they remain on the databases of academic institutions and in scientific journals across the world. How many tools that could transform the world&#8217;s understanding of risk and ways to adapt to that risk already exist or are currently under development? The answer is likely to be in the hundreds. But, how many of those tools have ever been used beyond one or two scientific case studies? The answer is likely to be, in most cases, very few.&#160;Academic institutions often administer barriers on access to their data and tools through institutional data management and by specifically implementing non-commercial use licensing in the dissemination of tools once scientific studies are completed. In addition, very commonly, insufficient thought is put to the exploitation strategies of these tools. The gaps in understanding and trust between academia and the needs of business sometimes feel insurmountable on both sides. Is &#8216;custom&#8217; defying reason in the face of the climate change crisis and the need for rapid systems transformation globally?&#160;The Oasis family, offers new approaches around transparency, collaboration, dissemination and exploitation and the encouragement of intereoperability by providing platforms that allow for comparative approaches to scientific data and tools.&#160;Firstly, "OASIS LMF is an open source platform for developing, deploying and executing catastrophe models to enable the &#8220;plug and play&#8221; of hazard and vulnerability modules (along with exposure and insurance policy terms) by way of a set of data standards that describe a model. It has been built in collaboration with the insurance industry (https://oasislmf.org/)." Oasis Palmtree offers support to enable access to this system.&#160;Secondly, Oasis Hub, has designed science innovation approaches to bringing tools and data to wider, diverse audiences in collaboration with scientific institutions. We discuss "OASIS Hub, as a global window and conduit to free and commercial environmental, catastrophe and risk data, tools and services (https://oasishub.co/) as an example of a new innovation approach.

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