218
R. Gard
Hawaiian name were all learned and used.
2 Through encouraging the local community regardless of age to engage in environmental education and activities that are
meaningful and useful to them, as well as placing their local and indigenous knowledge on par with scientific knowledge is of benefit to all involved. I have also found
this approach to be a powerful tool to tackle various stigmas associated with who
can “do science.”
It is important to acknowledge that applicable climate and environmental knowledge does not only come from science, rather important insights and information
pertaining to climate risks can come from diverse perspectives. Pacific Islanders
exhibit diverse cultural and spiritual beliefs in relation to the natural world and their
connection with it. This in turn informs mental models that can shape responses
to climate events and risks. Through working to understand and address dissimilar perspectives on climate change governmental policymakers, NGOs and FBOs
are better equipped to utilize tools best placed to advance and support community action. Though challenging, this is a most worthy challenge, as it is through
integrating diverse belief systems and mental models that we find a collective way
forward and assure survival of the species on an increasingly polarized planet.
Risk as a Social Construct
In the Pacific, climate impacts are compounded by socioeconomic stressors. For
example, in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston, there was rapid and
unplanned movement of rural villagers and outer-island residents (i.e. primarily
women and children) to urban centres and an out migration of those working to
physically rebuild villages (i.e. primarily men) to the remote areas of the Fijian
Islands. Further destabilizing factors in the PICTs include rising urban poverty and
political instability all of which impact a range of social services such as medical
care, education, and natural disaster risk management. When thinking of climate
change risk factors it is important to move beyond the environmental aspects and
consider the often more nuanced socially constructed aspects of risk (Power et al.
2017; Walshe et al. 2018).
Addressing issues of distrust in risk information is critical for policymakers, NGOs
and FBOs to tackle (Scott-Parker et al. 2017). Recall the example from Fiji following
Tropical Cyclone Winston where fellow relief workers shared concerns regarding
representatives of the Fijian government distributing faulty information associated
with the national declaration of emergency and aid request and that some of the
bank account numbers for donations had been altered so that funds were being
syphoned into third-party accounts. More broadly, research has found that distrust
appears higher among people in economically and socially disadvantaged groups
2 It is important to note that social science approaches, such as ethnographic interviewing of
community members, can yield rich scientific data related to flora and fauna when correlated with
pre-existing scientific data and knowledge.
R. Gard
Hawaiian name were all learned and used.
2 Through encouraging the local community regardless of age to engage in environmental education and activities that are
meaningful and useful to them, as well as placing their local and indigenous knowledge on par with scientific knowledge is of benefit to all involved. I have also found
this approach to be a powerful tool to tackle various stigmas associated with who
can “do science.”
It is important to acknowledge that applicable climate and environmental knowledge does not only come from science, rather important insights and information
pertaining to climate risks can come from diverse perspectives. Pacific Islanders
exhibit diverse cultural and spiritual beliefs in relation to the natural world and their
connection with it. This in turn informs mental models that can shape responses
to climate events and risks. Through working to understand and address dissimilar perspectives on climate change governmental policymakers, NGOs and FBOs
are better equipped to utilize tools best placed to advance and support community action. Though challenging, this is a most worthy challenge, as it is through
integrating diverse belief systems and mental models that we find a collective way
forward and assure survival of the species on an increasingly polarized planet.
Risk as a Social Construct
In the Pacific, climate impacts are compounded by socioeconomic stressors. For
example, in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston, there was rapid and
unplanned movement of rural villagers and outer-island residents (i.e. primarily
women and children) to urban centres and an out migration of those working to
physically rebuild villages (i.e. primarily men) to the remote areas of the Fijian
Islands. Further destabilizing factors in the PICTs include rising urban poverty and
political instability all of which impact a range of social services such as medical
care, education, and natural disaster risk management. When thinking of climate
change risk factors it is important to move beyond the environmental aspects and
consider the often more nuanced socially constructed aspects of risk (Power et al.
2017; Walshe et al. 2018).
Addressing issues of distrust in risk information is critical for policymakers, NGOs
and FBOs to tackle (Scott-Parker et al. 2017). Recall the example from Fiji following
Tropical Cyclone Winston where fellow relief workers shared concerns regarding
representatives of the Fijian government distributing faulty information associated
with the national declaration of emergency and aid request and that some of the
bank account numbers for donations had been altered so that funds were being
syphoned into third-party accounts. More broadly, research has found that distrust
appears higher among people in economically and socially disadvantaged groups
2 It is important to note that social science approaches, such as ethnographic interviewing of
community members, can yield rich scientific data related to flora and fauna when correlated with
pre-existing scientific data and knowledge.