Traditional knowledge for climate resilience in the Pacific Islands

Patrick Nunn; Roselyn Kumar; Hannah M Barrowman; Lynda Chambers; Laitia Fifita; David Gegeo; Chelcia Gomese; Simon McGree; Allan Rarai; Karen Cheer; Dorothy Esau; 'Ofa Fa'anunu; Teddy Fong; Mereia Fong-Lomavatu; Paul Geraghty; Tony Ahikau Heorake; Esau Kekeubata; Isoa Korovulavula; Eferemo Kubunavanua; Siosinamele Lui; David MacLaren; Philip Malsale; Sipiriano Nemani; Lila Singh Peterson; Mike Waiwai

doi:10.1002/wcc.882

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Traditional knowledge for climate resilience in the Pacific Islands

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Traditional knowledge for climate resilience in the Pacific Islands

Patrick Nunn, Roselyn Kumar, Hannah M Barrowman, Lynda Chambers, Laitia Fifita, David Gegeo, Chelcia Gomese, Simon McGree, Allan Rarai, Karen Cheer, …

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, Vol.15(4), pp.1-25

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.882

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Abstract

climate change

coping

Pacific islands

resilience

traditional knowledge

Pacific Islands, many relatively remote and small, have been occupied by people for more than 3000 years during which time they experienced climate-driven environmental changes (both slow and rapid onset) that challenged human survival and led to the evolution of place-based coping strategies expressed through traditional knowledge (TK). In today's globalized Pacific Islands region, into which western worldviews and global adaptation strategies have made significant inroads, most plans for coping with climate-changed futures are founded in science-based understandings of the world that undervalue and sideline TK. Many such plans have proved difficult to implement as a consequence. This paper reviews the nature of extant Pacific TK for coping with climate change, something that includes TK for anticipating climate change (including climate variability and climate extremes) as well as ancillary TK associated with food and water security, traditional ecological knowledge, environmental conservation, and settlement and house construction that represent coping strategies. Much of this TK can be demonstrated as being effective with precedents in other (traditional) contexts and a compelling plausible scientific basis. This study demonstrates that Pacific Islands TK for coping with climate change has value and, especially because of its place-based nature, should be central to future climate-change adaptation strategies to enhance their uptake, effectiveness and sustainability. To this end, this paper proposes specific ways forward to optimize the utility of TK and ensure it has a realistic role in sustaining Pacific Island communities into the future.

Details

Title: Traditional knowledge for climate resilience in the Pacific Islands
Authors: Patrick Nunn (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
Roselyn Kumar - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Hannah M Barrowman - Australia Pacific Climate Partnership
Lynda Chambers - Bureau of Meteorology
Laitia Fifita - Tonga Meterological Services
David Gegeo - Solomon Islands National University
Chelcia Gomese - University of Wollongong
Simon McGree - Bureau of Meteorology
Allan Rarai - University of the South Pacific
Karen Cheer (Author) - James Cook University
Dorothy Esau - Baru Conservation Alliance (Solomon Islands)
'Ofa Fa'anunu - Tonga Meterological Services
Teddy Fong - University of the South Pacific
Mereia Fong-Lomavatu (Author) - Fiji National University
Paul Geraghty (Author) - University of the South Pacific
Tony Ahikau Heorake - Solomon Islands National Museum
Esau Kekeubata - University of the South Pacific
Isoa Korovulavula - University of the South Pacific
Eferemo Kubunavanua - Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji
Siosinamele Lui (Author) - Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
David MacLaren - James Cook University
Philip Malsale - Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Sipiriano Nemani - Fiji Museum
Lila Singh Peterson - University of Southern Queensland
Mike Waiwai (Author) - Department of Climate Change (Vanuatu)
Publication details: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, Vol.15(4), pp.1-25
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date published: 2024
DOI: 10.1002/wcc.882
ISSN: 1757-7799; 1757-7780
Copyright note: © 2024 The Authors. WIREs Climate Change published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Data Availability: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.
Grant note: Australia Pacific Climate Partnership (APCP). Grant Number: 2022/PR100
Organisation Unit: Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991008298802621
Output Type: Journal article

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