Culturally grounded responses to coastal change on islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, northwest Pacific Ocean

Patrick Nunn; J Runman; M Falanruw; Roselyn Kumar

doi:10.1007/s10113-016-0950-2

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Culturally grounded responses to coastal change on islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, northwest Pacific Ocean

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Culturally grounded responses to coastal change on islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, northwest Pacific Ocean

Patrick Nunn, J Runman, M Falanruw and Roselyn Kumar

Regional Environmental Change, Vol.17(4), pp.959-971

2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-0950-2

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Abstract

Pacific

island

Micronesia

coastal change

climate change

adaptation

The characterization of Pacific Islands as especially vulnerable to climate change often undervalues the cultural resilience of their inhabitants. On many Micronesian islands, coastal stone-built structures are the most visible type of tangible cultural resilience and have endured for perhaps 1000 years or more. A distinction is recognized between older structures, likely built in response to sea-level rise during the Medieval Warm Period (AD 750-1250), and more recent structures that likely took advantage of the lowered sea level during the Little Ice Age (AD 1350-1800). Detailed studies of Micronesian responses to recent coastal change were undertaken in the islands of Yap (Proper). The positioning and maintenance of coastal men's houses (faluw) reflect either pragmatic responses to unmanageable coastal change or a cultural determination to resist this. The long history of traditional responses to climate variability and coastal change for terrestrial food production on Yap is also discussed. Future adaptation pathways on Yap and other higher islands in Micronesia need to combine scientific knowledge of climate change with traditional responses to historical change, including the stonework tradition and the cultural determination to resist undesired coastal change.

Details

Title: Culturally grounded responses to coastal change on islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, northwest Pacific Ocean
Authors: Patrick Nunn (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
J Runman (Author) - Historic Preservation Office, Government of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia
M Falanruw (Author) - Yap Institute of Natural Science, Federated States of Micronesia
Roselyn Kumar (Author) - University of the South Pacific, Fiji
Publication details: Regional Environmental Change, Vol.17(4), pp.959-971
Publisher: Springer
Date published: 2017
DOI: 10.1007/s10113-016-0950-2
ISSN: 1436-3798
Organisation Unit: Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449854002621
Output Type: Journal article

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