Thematic Research Areas

Climate change education and public awareness

Education is essential in addressing climate change phenomena by equipping populations with the knowledge and skills to understand and tackle the climate crisis‎(1). UNESCO asserts that climate change-related education, especially when focused on children and young people, promotes a positive attitude and behavioural change that is essential for sustainable climate change mitigation and adaptation responses‎(3). Consequently, the organization urges making environmental education a core curriculum component in all countries by 2025.

General public awareness of the causes and consequences of climate change among populations is also needed to develop a culture of care for the environment and prevent further detrimental impacts‎(2). Such awareness also empowers citizens who are often strangers to the many launched political climate agreements to drive successful climate action.

Researchers at RECCA will consider the most appropriate ways to enhance climate change education and public awareness through adapting how we share and use climate-related information. Our work will look at the existing/future climate change education strategies, including reviewing the gaps and challenges and identifying opportunities to build a climate-informed society from the individual to national policy level. We will also explore options to organize issue-based events, discussions and policy dialogues, as well as develop training resources for climate change education.

(1)  Apollo, A. and Mbah, M.F., 2021. Challenges and opportunities for climate change education (CCE) in East Africa: A critical review. Climate, 9(6), p.93.

(2)  Monroe, M.C., Plate, R.R., Oxarart, A., Bowers, A. and Chaves, W.A., 2019. Identifying effective climate change education strategies: A systematic review of the research. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), pp.791-812.

(3)  UNESCO. Climate change education for sustainable development: the UNESCO climate change initiative. 2010. Available online https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000190101(Accessed on 11/9/2022)

Indigenous knowledge(IK) and climate change adaptation

Indigenous communities face severe impacts of climate change even though their ‘low carbon’ traditional ways of life have contributed little to the climate crisis‎(2). Their high vulnerability is due to their location in high-risk environments and over-reliance on natural resource livelihoods like farming, pastoralism, fishing etc‎.(3). Consequently, indigenous communities are mobilising and using their in-depth community-based and collectively held knowledge of the territories they have accumulated for generations to observe, interpret and respond to environmental changes.

Despite its valuable contribution, indigenous knowledge (IK) of climate change and adaptation remains widely undocumented and unrecognised; due to the predominance of westernised climate science‎(1). As a result, indigenous communities continue to be excluded from global processes of decision and policy-making. Such marginalisation results in the development and implementation of ineffective adaptation strategies that exacerbate the risk to indigenous people and their livelihoods, impairing their resilience‎(1)‎(3).

Research at RECCA will focus on evidencing IK application in climate change adaptation, particularly in developing nations with large indigenous communities vulnerable to climate change impacts. Our work will also look into the existing gaps in documenting and applying IK and how these can be integrated with climate science to enhance community-based climate mitigation and adaptation that can sustain resilience. The research outputs will therefore promote IK’s inclusion in climate policy and strengthen its essential contribution to the UN sustainable development goal 13 on climate action.

(1)  Alexander, C., Bynum, N., Johnson, E., King, U., Mustonen, T., Neofotis, P., Oettlé, N., Rosenzweig, C., Sakakibara, C., Shadrin, V. and Vicarelli, M., 2011. Linking indigenous and scientific knowledge of climate change. BioScience, 61(6), pp.477-484.

(2)  Mbah, M., Ajaps, S. and Molthan-Hill, P., 2021. A systematic review of the deployment of indigenous knowledge systems towards climate change adaptation in developing world contexts: implications for climate change education. Sustainability, 13(9), p.4811. 

(3)  Nyong, A., Adesina, F. and Osman Elasha, B., 2007. The value of indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the African Sahel. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 12(5), pp.787-797.

Climate-related humanitarian crisis and response

Evidence continues to mount up on the unprecedented impacts of climate change on other humanitarian crises, including floods, droughts, food insecurity, disease pandemic, loss of biodiversity, increased conflicts and displacements etc. The climate crisis not only creates new humanitarian needs but also exacerbates those that already exist, occurring in increased frequencies, leaving little time for recovery from one shock to the next‎(1). The United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs(UNOCHA) predicts that the number of such disaster events and crises could double by 2050‎(3). This means the number of people requiring humanitarian aid will also increase, and consequently, there will be high demand for humanitarian funding and capacity‎(2).  

However, despite this evidence, most humanitarian responses are often launched after climate-related disasters hit with widespread damage to already vulnerable communities. Hence there is a need for more recognition and implementation of climate action in the humanitarian space to do humanitarian work well‎(3). Currently, humanitarians are primarily treating the symptoms of climate change and not actively engaging in mitigating the root causes‎(2). There is a need to invest in disaster preparedness through monitoring systems for anticipatory action as well as promoting inclusive humanitarian response and accountable use of resources for early action. Humanitarian institutions must also develop stronger partnerships with the scientific and development community to sustainably advocate for and take climate action.

RECCA will research how the humanitarian community is responding to the climate crisis, including examining the existing gaps and opportunities for integrating environmental awareness in humanitarian operations. Our work will also look into the localisation agenda and its role in building back better resilient societies to climate change. We will explore climate adaptation financing and prioritisation of populations and regions at most risk in relation to humanitarian funding. We will use our research outputs to inform training materials for increasing climate change awareness and action in the humanitarian space, including local governments who are frontline partners in humanitarian response.

(1)  Burkle, F.M., Martone, G. and Greenough, P.G., 2014. The changing face of humanitarian crises. The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 20(2), pp.19-36.

(2)  Suarez, P., Saunders, G., Mendler, S., Lemaire, I., Karol, J. and Curtis, L., 2008. Calls to Action–Climate-Related Disasters: Humanitarian Challenges and Reconstruction Opportunities. Places, 20(2).

(3)  UNOCHA. 2022. Climate crises are humanitarian crises – Why climate action is essential to doing aid well. Available at https://reliefweb.int/report/world/climate-crises-are-humanitarian-crises-why-climate-action-essential-doing-aid-well. (Accessed on 15/9/2022)