Universities and Climate Action
By Tristan McCowan
Abstract
Universities have a pivotal role to play in addressing the climate crisis, not only educating an increasingly large proportion of the global population, but also through scientific breakthroughs, technological innovation and raising public awareness. Higher education is particularly important given the roots of ecological and social breakdown in our models of civilisation, culture and knowledge. Yet its potential has not always been realised, and universities have historically been implicated in the exploitation and destruction of the natural environment and human communities. A transformation is thus needed in higher education, with institutions reorienting their activities towards positive engagement with climate.
Universities and Climate Action presents an original framework for understanding the impact of universities on climate change. It explores the interactions of education, research, services, public debate and campus operations on society and the ecosphere, and the complex interplay of influences on local, national and global levels. It provides in-depth discussions of ways of engaging with climate in teaching and learning and the curriculum, in research agendas, in governance and management of estates, and in engaging with external communities. The theoretical models are contextualised with examples of climate action in universities around the world. This book provides vital tools for analysis and action for researchers and practitioners working with and within the higher education sector.
Suggested citation
McCowan, T. (2025) Universities and Climate Action. London: UCL Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781800088290
Bridging the gap: participatory action research for climate change adaptation in rural India
By Devisha Sasidevan, Sunil Santha, and Tristan McCowan
Overview
Purpose This article aims to examine a community initiative in Tamil Nadu, India, which uses heirloom seeds to promote climate resilience. The authors, involved in the initiative as action researchers, aim to illustrate how their experiences can be integrated into the curriculum and practice of “Adaptive Innovation”, a model rooted in action research and reflective practice. The article highlights the importance of participatory action research (PAR) in bridging the gap between theory and practice, challenging traditional hierarchies between universities and communities. The authors argue that PAR allows for a more inclusive and equitable approach to knowledge production and climate action, giving a voice to marginalised communities and fostering social and environmental regeneration.
Suggested citation
Sasidevan, D., Santha, S., McCowan, T. & Balasubramaniam, S. (2025). Bridging the gap: participatory action research for climate change adaptation in rural India. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 26 (6): 1492–1511. DOI:10.1108/IJSHE-10-2024-0710
Águas nas Amazônias: sujeitos de direitos e territó-rios educativos–referências para a formulação de políticas educacionais
Waters in the Amazon: subjects of rights and educational territories–sources for the formulation of educational policies
Por Salomão Mufarrej hage, Edir Augusto Dias Pereira, Tristan McCowan, Raimunda Kelly Silva Gomes
Resumo
Purpose This article aims to examine a community initiative in Tamil Nadu, India, which uses heirloom seeds to promote climate resilience. The authors, involved in the initiative as action researchers, aim to illustrate how their experiences can be integrated into the curriculum and practice of “Adaptive Innovation”, a model rooted in action research and reflective practice. The article highlights the importance of participatory action research (PAR) in bridging the gap between theory and practice, challenging traditional hierarchies between universities and communities. The authors argue that PAR allows for a more inclusive and equitable approach to knowledge production and climate action, giving a voice to marginalised communities and fostering social and environmental regeneration.
Suggested citation
Hage, S. M., Pereira, E. A. D., McCowan, T., & Gomes, R. K. S. (2025). Águas nas Amazônias: sujeitos de direitos e territó-rios educativos–referências para a formulação de políticas educacionais. Jornal de Políticas Educacionais. V, 19(e99613), 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5380/jpe.v19i1.99613
Co-creating climate knowledge: informal networks, local innovation, and ecosystem restoration in coastal Tanzania
By Glynnis Vergotine, Almas Mazigo, Palesa Molebatsi, Presha Ramsarup, Jovitha Mayega, and Tristan McCowan
Abstract
This study investigates the role of informal knowledge networks in climate adaptation and ecosystem restoration in coastal Tanzania. Focusing on coral reef and mangrove restoration efforts in Somanga village, the research applies the Shaxson et al. knowledge co-creation framework to analyse how local actors serve as intermediaries, translators, brokers, and innovators. Data collected through photovoice and interviews reveal that knowledge is not merely transferred but is re-contextualised through embodied practice, metaphor and social learning. These processes facilitate the synthesis of scientific and indigenous knowledge, generating hybrid practices tailored to local ecological and cultural contexts. Informal networks, sustained through trust, shared memory and collective action, emerge as key infrastructures for technical innovation and social transformation. Findings highlight increased inclusion of women and youth, shifts in local leadership dynamics, and the development of community-driven pedagogies. Rather than acting as recipients of externally defined solutions, communities mobilise knowledge through participatory processes that embed adaptation within local realities. This research contributes to broader debates on epistemic justice, place-based resilience, and polycentric governance, emphasising the centrality of informal knowledge systems for navigating socio-ecological change.
Suggested citation
Vergotine, G., Mazigo, A., Molebatsi, P., Ramsarup, P., Mayega, J., & McCowan, T. (2025). Co-creating climate knowledge: informal networks, local innovation, and ecosystem restoration in coastal Tanzania. Local Environment, 1-25. DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2025.2579585
Traditional Knowledge on Adaptation and Resilience in Higher Education for Enabling Research on Climate Justice
By Suparana Katyaini, Anamika Barua, Aradhana Amlathe, Bhavya Katyal
Suggested citation
Katyaini, S., Barua, A., Amlathe, A., Katyal, B., Nayak, B. P., & McCowan, T. (2025). Traditional Knowledge on Adaptation and Resilience in Higher Education for Enabling Research on Climate Justice. In Changing Tides (pp. 177-199). Routledge.
Immersion-Based Learning for Ecological Civilization in Coastal Communities of Tanzania
By Almas Fortunatus Mazigo and Tristan McCowan
Overview
Universities have transformative potential in promoting ecological civilization and fostering ecological citizenship—empowering individuals to conserve resources, protect biodiversity, and practice environmental stewardship. However, a focus on classroom-based instruction limits the realization of this potential. Instead, ecological learning can be better performed in well-established and well-managed university–community partnerships, where the community’s knowledge and experience are valued and included. This chapter explores how immersion-based ecological learning can cultivate ecological competencies, drawing on experiences in the field in Tanzania’s coastal communities. We emphasize the significance of engaging with local, Indigenous, and traditional knowledge, addressing theory–practice divides, and coproducing knowledge through participatory action research. We also critically examine the global constructs of ecological civilization, particularly China’s state-led approach, and contrast it with Tanzania’s community-driven ecological initiatives.
Suggested citation
Mazigo, A. F., & McCowan, T. (2025). Immersion-Based Learning for Ecological Civilization in Coastal Communities of Tanzania. In Handbook of Ecological Civilization: Concept, Philosophy, and Pedagogy (pp. 1-26). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. DOI:10.1007/978-981-97-8101-0_58-1
Guest editorial: Experiences of participatory methodologies in promoting climate action in higher education
By Walter Leal Filho, Luciana Londero Brandli, Amanda Salvia and Tristan McCowan
Suggested citation
Leal Filho, W., Brandli, L. L., Lange Salvia, A., & McCowan, T. (2025). Guest editorial: Experiences of participatory methodologies in promoting climate action in higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 26(6), 1249-1251. DOI:10.1108/IJSHE-08-2025-884
Impacts of a Green Office at a brazilian university: lessons learned and contributions to institutional sustainability and climate action
By Janaina Mazutti, Amanda Salvia and Luciana Londero Brandli
Abstract
Amidst the intensifying and widespread effects of climate change, there is a growing urgency for society to be adequately equipped to respond to the complex and evolving challenges of the current environmental crisis. Among the institutional strategies to promote sustainability, Green Offices (GOs) have emerged as innovative structures that coordinate environmental initiatives within universities. This study analyzes the impacts of a Green Office focused on climate action at the University of Passo Fundo (UPF), in southern Brazil. Through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, nine student-led projects were developed and assessed based on their alignment with institutional and community priorities (identified in the early stages of the PAR process), internal or external impact to the university, theoretical or practical orientation, and contributions across four domains: campus operations, curriculum, outreach, and environmental education. Results demonstrate that the Green Office catalyzed student engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and partnerships beyond the university. However, barriers such as limited funding and weak curricular integration hindered broader institutionalization. Despite these challenges, the experience highlights the potential of Green Offices to serve as strategic instruments for embedding climate action in higher education institutions.
Suggested citation
Mazutti, J., Salvia, A. L., & Brandli, L. L. (2025). Impacts of a Green Office at a brazilian university: lessons learned and contributions to institutional sustainability and climate action. Caderno Pedagógico, 22(8), e17352-e17352. DOI 10.54033/cadpedv22n8-181
Educação e mudanças climáticas: a percepção dos estudantes de uma escola do interior da Amazônia sobre as mudanças climáticas
Por Luis Alípio Gomes, Tania Suely Azevedo Brasileiro, Klaudia Yared Sadala, Adriane Panduro Gama, Luciandro Tássio Ribeiro de Souza, Elian Mara Sousa Carvalho, Helana Miranda da Cruz Gomes, Tristan McCowan
Resumo
A questão das Mudanças Climáticas (MC) tem sido um tema bastante abordado na literatura científica. O presente artigo tem como objetivo fazer uma discussão a partir da literatura a respeito da relação entre Educação e Mudanças climáticas, evidenciando a percepção dos estudantes de uma escola pública do interior da Amazônia. É caracterizado como uma pesquisa quanti-qualitativa com aplicação de questionário padrão e realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas. Os questionários foram aplicados a 51 estudantes do ensino fundamental e médio e as entrevistas foram realizadas com 4 estudantes. Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que as Mudanças Climáticas foram percebidas pelos estudantes principalmente associadas a sensação térmica do aumento da temperatura (muito calor). As principais fontes de informação sobre o tema foram identificadas como a mídia (TV, noticiários) com 25,37%, internet e redes sociais com 18,66%, atividades desenvolvidas na escola com 17,16% e na comunidade com 13,43%. Quanto a importância da Educação sobre MC, houve o registro de 49,02% que reconheceram com grande importância a sua abordagem, e 21,57% com significativa importância. Foi indagado se os alunos gostariam de participar ativamente de grupo ambientalista, 74% manifestaram concordância com esta proposição. Assim, apesar da percepção dos participantes em destacar a importância da abordagem sobre MC no ambiente escolar, em uma região no interior da Amazônia paraense, faz-se necessário potencializar o protagonismo da juventude amazônica com relação as mudanças climáticas. Estudos, debates e pesquisas sobre Educação e Mudanças Climáticas revelaram-se temas estratégicos e necessários, principalmente, com a confirmação da COP 30 da Amazônia.
Suggested citation
Gomes, L. A., Brasileiro, T. S. A., Sadala, K. Y., Gama, A. P., de Souza, L. T. R., Carvalho, E. M. S., ... & McCowan, T. (2024) Educação e mudanças climáticas: A percepção dos estudantes de uma escola do interior da Amazônia sobre as mudanças climáticas. Caderno Pedagógico, 21(1), 341-371.
Árvores nativas estratégicas para a conservação da fauna silvestre
Por Jamie Martinez, Gabriela Rodrigues, Nemora Pauletti Prestes
Suggested citation
Santha, S.D., Sasidevan, D., Raman, A., Ali, K.N., Yoosuf, S., Panda, D. and Shenoy, G. (2024), "Adaptive innovation and ethical dilemmas: a participatory action research study amongst cyclone-impacted households in Tamil Nadu, India", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-12-2023-0331
Adaptive innovation and ethical dilemmas: a participatory action research study amongst cyclone-impacted households in Tamil Nadu, India
By Sunil D. Santha, Devisha Sasidevan, Atul Raman, Khadeeja Naja Ali, Soofiya Yoosuf, Deepankar Panda, Gauri Shenoy
Abstract
The article showcases the nature of climate colonialism by examining the transitions in heirloom seed conservation practices in the context of climate change. Insights for this article are drawn from an action research project implemented among heirloom seed keepers and small-scale farmers in Tamil Nadu, India. Local knowledge systems and indigenous seed conservation practices play a crucial role in strengthening the resilience of small-scale farmers to climate variability and extreme weather events. Throughout India, traditional seed keepers have voluntarily taken up the responsibility of collecting and conserving native and heirloom seeds for future generations. These practices also ensure that sustainable farming practices are adopted. However, the modernization and commercialization of agriculture since the colonial and post-independence periods have displaced several such practices, paving the way for the mass consumption of hybrid seed varieties and chemical fertilizers and pesticides. With the advent of climate change as both global discourse and locally experienced phenomena, yet another layer of dispossession and the cheapening of nature has occurred. The key argument of this article is that climate change adaptation has become a new commodity frontier, dispossessing and alienating small-scale producers.
Suggested citation
Santha, S.D., Sasidevan, D., Raman, A., Ali, K.N., Yoosuf, S., Panda, D. and Shenoy, G. (2024), "Adaptive innovation and ethical dilemmas: a participatory action research study amongst cyclone-impacted households in Tamil Nadu, India", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-12-2023-0331
Losing touch with mother seed: Insights from action research with small-scale farmers in Tamil Nadu, India
By Sunil Damodaran Santha, Devisha Sasidevan, Sowmya Balasubramaniam, Afla C P, Anna KJ Steffy, Dhanya Kolathur, Ghurshida Jabeen, Atul Raman
Abstract
The article showcases the nature of climate colonialism by examining the transitions in heirloom seed conservation practices in the context of climate change. Insights for this article are drawn from an action research project implemented among heirloom seed keepers and small-scale farmers in Tamil Nadu, India. Local knowledge systems and indigenous seed conservation practices play a crucial role in strengthening the resilience of small-scale farmers to climate variability and extreme weather events. Throughout India, traditional seed keepers have voluntarily taken up the responsibility of collecting and conserving native and heirloom seeds for future generations. These practices also ensure that sustainable farming practices are adopted. However, the modernization and commercialization of agriculture since the colonial and post-independence periods have displaced several such practices, paving the way for the mass consumption of hybrid seed varieties and chemical fertilizers and pesticides. With the advent of climate change as both global discourse and locally experienced phenomena, yet another layer of dispossession and the cheapening of nature has occurred. The key argument of this article is that climate change adaptation has become a new commodity frontier, dispossessing and alienating small-scale producers.
Suggested citation
Santha, S. D., Sasidevan, D., Balasubramaniam, S., P, A. C., Steffy, A. K., Kolathur, D., Jabeen, G. & Raman, A., (2024). Losing touch with mother seed: Insights from action research with small-scale farmers in Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Political Ecology 31(1), 733–745. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.5600
Cenários para as cidades de 2050: a percepção e a construção de alternativas por estudantes de arquitetura e urbanismo
Por Marcos Antonio Leite Frandoloso, Sidnei Matana Júnior, Raul Winkelmann
Resumo
O propósito deste artigo é apresentar os resultados desenvolvidos em disciplina no curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, cuja premissa é o pensamento reflexivo de como ações em diferentes setores produzirão cenários para as próximas décadas e seus impactos em relação às mudanças climáticas. O enfoque se dá em soluções para cidades e infraestruturas, engajando diferentes stakeholders e meio acadêmico nas soluções para atender a sustentabilidade, intrínseca à qualidade de vida e equidade social. O artigo apresenta o processo acadêmico das discussões e desenvolvimento de cenários para 2050, sejam utópicos ou distópicos, e alternativas com base na realidade e projeções científicas.
Suggested citation
Leite Frandoloso, M., Matana Júnior, S. & Bertagnoli Winkelmann, R. (2022). Cenários para as cidades de 2050. ENTAC. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46421/entac.v19i1.2168
Aiming Higher? Implications for Higher Education of Students’ Views on Education for Climate Justice
By Caine Rolleston, Jackline Nyerere, Luciana Brandli, Rosiana Lagi and Tristan McCowan
Overview
In 2023, a high number of climate disasters were recorded globally, highlighting the urgent dangers inherent in climate change and the inequities that result from its uneven impacts. Higher education institutions (HEIs) potentially play a crucial role in furthering climate justice through their research, teaching, community engagement and public awareness. Many students enter HEIs with high expectations concerning their education regarding climate change and more broadly of their institution’s contribution to climate action. In this article, we explore these expectations alongside the perceptions of students regarding how HEIs are delivering on them, i.e., the extent to which students are satisfied with their HEIs’ policies and practice on climate change. We employ data from a large-scale survey of more than 4000 students conducted by the Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate (Climate-U) project collected in nine HEIs in three countries (Brazil, Fiji and Kenya) during 2021–22. Results indicate that satisfaction among students in the sampled HEIs is often low, while expectations are typically high. There is some evidence that students in contexts already more directly exposed to the impacts of climate change were somewhat more active and more satisfied. Overall, students frequently expected to learn more about climate change than they were in fact learning and expressed high levels of environmental concern as well as some dissatisfaction with HEIs’ wider activities to limit the impact of climate change and to promote understanding of the issues. We discuss the findings in relation to the gaps between what students expect from their HEIs and what HEIs are currently doing in the three countries. Furthermore, we consider how HEIs in Brazil, Fiji and Kenya may improve their engagement with issues of climate change and respond to students’ views and expectations, including the promotion of preparedness for and resilience to the climate crisis and its effects.
Suggested citation
Rolleston, Caine, Jackline Nyerere, Luciana Brandli, Rosiana Lagi, and Tristan McCowan (2023). Aiming Higher? Implications for Higher Education of Students’ Views on Education for Climate Justice. Sustainability 15, no. 19: 14473. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914473
Researcher Positionality in Participatory Action Research for Climate Justice in Indigenous Communities
By Kaori Kitagawa
Overview
This paper discusses researcher positionality in the studies of indigenous communities in the context of the Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate project. The paper is specifically associated with the project’s participatory action research strand, which aims to design and implement interventions relating to mitigation and adaptation to climate change, involving local communities and universities in the countries. Despite an increase in the number of social scientists engaging in climate-changerelated research, discussion on researcher positionality is still limited. The paper intends to fill this gap by analysing the empirical data collected from partner researchers who were asked about their own positionalities. Utilising the ‘four hyphen-spaces’ framework proposed by Cunliffe and Karunanayake, the paper identifies commonalities and variations in terms of the researchers’ reflections on their positionalities. The paper concludes by addressing the complex aspects of ‘insiderness’ that have implications for participatory action research.
Suggested citation
Kitagawa, K. (2023). Researcher Positionality in Participatory Action Research for Climate Justice in Indigenous Communities. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22.
Participatory Action Research in the Implementation of a Green Office: The Experience of a Brazilian University
By Amanda Lange Salvia, Janaina Mazutti, Giovana Reginatto, Luciana Londero Brandli and Eliara Riasyk Porto
Overview
The core component of the international project Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate (Climate-U) encompasses the development of Participatory Action Research (PAR) to connect members of the university and the local community to work collaboratively and develop interventions to respond to climate change. The University of Passo Fundo (UPF), in the south of Brazil, is one of the Climate-U partners where a case study following the PAR approach is being implemented as a Green Office—the first one in South America following the Green Office Model. The implementation of sustainability offices is among the strategies used by higher education institutions to promote academic engagement and awareness-raising and empower students to act towards sustainable development. At UPF, the implementation of the Green Office UPF followed the Green Office approach—with the office being led by students and staff—but with the participatory methodology, representing the important additional component of participation of key stakeholders in the decision and action processes. This paper presents the process of implementation of the Green Office UPF and the first cycle of the Participatory Action Research, with challenges and lessons on the procedures of engaging university students and calling them for action, in matters related to sustainability and climate change.
Suggested citation
Salvia, A.L., Mazutti, J., Reginatto, G., Brandli, L.L., Porto, E.R. (2023). Participatory Action Research in the Implementation of a Green Office: The Experience of a Brazilian University. In: Leal Filho, W., Lange Salvia, A., Pallant, E., Choate, B., Pearce, K. (eds) Educating the Sustainability Leaders of the Future. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22856-8_34
The climate crisis as a driver for pedagogical renewal in higher education
By Tristan McCowan
Overview
The planetary crisis facing humanity makes essential the incorporation of learning about climate change and sustainability in the university curriculum. Yet the ooting of climate change in values, knowledge systems and societal structures means that this incorporation must be more than just addition of knowledge content into a pre-existing curricular template. This article argues that the shifts required in a deep treatment of the climate crisis serve a broader purpose in driving positive change in university teaching and learning. Even within the confines of existing disciplinary divisions and mainstream epistemologies, possibilities exist for deepening critical reflection, pushing boundaries and opening imagination. The article explores this potential through an assessment of three spheres of enquiry: the ontological, epistemological and axiological. The teaching of these areas should be underpinned by the complimentary pedagogical foundations of critical questioning and deliberation, leading to a virtuous cycle of deepening of understanding and connection.
Suggested citation
McCowan, T. (2023). The climate crisis as a driver for pedagogical renewal in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 28 (5), 933-952.
A Amazônia na rota da colonialidade global: A Hidrovia Araguaia-Tocantins, conflitos de projetos, pluralidade de vozes/narrativas e perspectivas educativas.
By Edir Augusto Dias Pereira, Óscar Ferreira Barros, Salomão Hage and Tristan McCowan
Overview
O artigo analisa o papel da Amazônia na sustentabilidade global do planeta pautando as contribuições de seus povos para este processo e como inspiração e fonte de aprendizado social e educacional para outros povos do mundo. De modo mais específico, reflete sobre a luta contra a implantação da Hidrovia Araguaia-Tocantins, que ameaça tanto os meios de subsistência dos povos tradicionais e camponeses da região quanto o meio ambiente e a vida não humanas; analisando o papel que as parcerias universidade-comunidade desempenham nesse processo, referenciados com os princípios da pesquisa-ação participativa, entendida como uma estratégia poderosa para combater a crise climática em todo o mundo. As reflexões contidas no artigo foram produzidas como resultado de uma pesquisa bibliográfica, documental e de campo, que integram um estudo mais amplo em execução pela equipe da UFPA que integra o Projeto Climate-U, com a finalidade de criar Coletivos de Governança Territoriais (COGTER), por meio de ações dialógicas que envolvem a universidade e os movimentos sociais dos povos e comunidades tradicionais, para enfrentar os impactos ambientais que destroem os biomas e expulsam os povos tradicionais de suas comunidades e provocam alterações do clima.
Suggested citation
Pereira, E. A. D., Barros, O. F., Hage, S., & McCowan, T. (2023). A Amazônia na rota da colonialidade global: A Hidrovia Araguaia-Tocantins, conflitos de projetos, pluralidade de vozes/narrativas e perspectivas educativas. Revista Española de Educación Comparada, (43), 174–194.
Academic Community Expectations on Climate Change Learning and Engagement: A Case Study at University of Passo Fundo
By Luciana Londero Brandli, Giovana Reginatto, Amanda Lange Salvia and Janaina Mazutti
Overview
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change, representing severe risks to the world population. Among the actors applying strategies to fight these climate challenges, universities are implementing actions in their operations and in teaching, research and outreach, with the key role of engaging students during this process. Although some studies have been covering these initiatives, further investigation is needed to understand the changes required within the university to maximize its role in climate action. Thus, this paper aims to describe the academic community's expectations about climate change learning and engagement and the challenges associated with this process, presenting a case study at University of Passo Fundo, Brazil. The methodology is based on qualitative data collection through semi-structured interviews with students and a focus group with professors and managers on their perceptions on learning and engagement opportunities on climate change. The results showed that the academic community established interests on climate change learning and engagement, even though the university does not yet have this theme institutionalised, demonstrating an opportunity for action. Challenges and potential solutions are also discussed, which may also support other universities.
Suggested citation
Brandli, L.L., Reginatto, G., Salvia, A.L., Mazutti, J. (2023). Academic Community Expectations on Climate Change Learning and Engagement: A Case Study at University of Passo Fundo. In: Leal Filho, W., Lange Salvia, A., Pallant, E., Choate, B., Pearce, K. (eds) Educating the Sustainability Leaders of the Future. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22856-8_7
Indigenous Knowledge systems’ role in addressing sea level rise and dried water source: A Fijian case study
By Kolaia Raisele and Rosiana Lagi
Overview
Global responses to the climate crisis continue to focus on Western theoretical perspectives and scientific solutions but overshadow community-based responses by indigenous communities. An effective response to the climate crisis in the Pacific Islands needs the Pacific Islanders' own story and their own response systems. This study will explore the role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in addressing sea-level rise (SLR) and dried water sources (DWS) drawing from a case study in Vatutavui village, Fiji. Using the methods of focus group discussion and individual interviews, the study will identify how members of Vatutavui village are responding to SLR and DWS using their Indigenous knowledge and practices. The paper will then weave the findings of this study together with contemporary discourses of social ecological resilience to the climate crisis. We discovered that Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) continue to cement their significance in Indigenous Fijian villages, and it is a foundational response to the climate crisis. Placing emphasis on IKS in addressing the climate crisis in Vatutavui had positive ecological and social cultural implications.
Suggested citation
Raisele, K., Lagi, R. (2023): Indigenous Knowledge Systems' role in addressing sea level rise and dried water source: A Fijian case study. Pacific Dynamics: Journal of Indisciplinary Research, Vol 76 (1).
‘Curui’: weaving climate justice and gender equality into Fijian educational policies and practices
By Rosiana Lagi, Ledua Waqailiti, Kolaia Raisele, Lorena Sanchez Tyson & Charlotte Nussey
Overview
This paper takes inspiration from the Indigenous Fijian practice of ‘curui’ – weaving or patching together – as a metaphor to explore connections between climate justice, gender equality, and education in Fijian policies and practices. The paper argues that neither gender equality nor education can be ‘silver bullets’ for the huge challenges that the climate crisis raises, particularly for small island developing states (SIDS) such as Fiji that exist at the sharp end of the crisis. The paper contributes close analysis of Fijian national climate change policies and development plans from 2010, identifying the ways in which these policies frame and discuss the connections between climate, gender, and education, and asking whether these policies acknowledge traditional ecological knowledges, and the extent to which they are aligned with notions of justice. It argues that connected approaches to education, centred in Indigenous knowledges and ontologies, have thus far been insufficiently included in Fiji’s policies.
Suggested citation
Lagi, R., Waqailiti, L., Raisele, K., Sanchez Tyson, L. and Nussey, C. (2023) ‘Curui’: weaving climate justice and gender equality into Fijian educational policies and practices,Comparative Education
Internationalisation and Climate Impacts of Higher Education: Towards an Analytical Framework
By Tristan McCowan
Overview
Internationalisation of higher education has diverging implications for climate change, on the one hand entailing greenhouse gas emissions through mobility, but also contributing to climate action through international collaboration. These apparent contradictions and resulting trade-offs present significant challenges to universities. This paper puts forward a framework for understanding the combination of impacts, the interactions between them and implications for the climate crisis. It distinguishes between three dimensions of internationalisation: actors (movements of students and staff), practices (integration of the international into curriculum and research) and influence (the global reach of the various impacts of the university). Internationalisation in these three dimensions can have positive or negative implications for climate action and sustainability, through direct impacts (greenhouse gas emissions) and indirect ones (changes in individuals, societal structures, knowledge and technologies). Implications are drawn out for the actions and strategies of universities, as well as for the global system of higher education.
Suggested citation
McCowan, T. (2023). Internationalisation and Climate Impacts of Higher Education: Towards an Analytical Framework. Journal of Studies in International Education
Can We Measure Universities’ Impact on Climate Change?
By Tristan McCowan
Overview
Universities have a growing interest in understanding the impact that they have on climate change, whether positive or negative. Yet beyond the direct emissions from their campuses, is it possible to measure their multiple influences through education, knowledge production, and public engagement? This article argues that while it is important to monitor carefully those activities that can be measured, universities should not dismiss those activities that cannot.
Suggested citation
McCowan, T. (2022). Can We Measure Universities’ Impact on Climate Change? International Higher Education, (111), 17-19.
Climate change and the role of universities: the potential of land-based teacher education and agroecology
By Hage, S., Molina, M. and McCowan, T.
Overview
This article provides a critical reflection on climate change in contemporary times, addressing the responses made by universities through land-based teacher education courses with a agroecology approach. It draws on historical dialectical materialism, with reference to land-based higher education and the Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate project. Significant possibilities are identified for the critical development of educators with an understanding of agroecology linked to the material production of life in the farming territories.
Suggested citation
Hage, S., Molina, M. and McCowan, T. (2022) Climate change and the role of universities: the potential of land-based teacher education and agroecology. Revista Brasileira de Política e Administração da Educação, 38 (1).
Building university capabilities to respond to climate change through participatory action research: towards a comparative analytical framework
By Nussey, C., Frediani, A.A., Lagi, R., Mazutti, J. and Nyerere, J.
Overview
This paper aims to explore how the principles of participatory action research (PAR) articulate with questions of climate justice. Drawing on three qualitative case studies in Brazil, Fiji and Kenya, the paper explores university institutional capabilities, asking how the principles of mobilising PAR to support transformative outcomes can further climate justice. The paper argues that for participatory action research to become a pathway to build universities’ capabilities, key considerations are needed. PAR needs to: a) move beyond change in individual behaviour to respond to climate change and affect institutional norms, procedures and practices; b) recognise and partner with marginalised groups whose voice and experiences are at the periphery of climate debate, enabling reciprocal flows of impact and knowledge between universities and wider societies; and c) foster ‘relationships of equivalence’ with actors within as well as outside university to influence university governance and wider climate related policy-making processes.
Suggested citation
Nussey, C., Frediani, A.A., Lagi, R., Mazutti, J. and Nyerere, J. (2022) Building university capabilities to respond to climate change through participatory action research: towards a comparative analytical framework, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Volume 23, Issue 1, pp. 95-115
Rethinking the unthinkable: what can educational engagements with culture offer the climate crisis?
By Charlotte Nussey
Overview
This essay considers the ways in which education and cultural relations offers lessons, new ideas and ways of talking and listening about the climate emergency. Nussey argues that the climate emergency cannot be addressed by technical responses and innovations alone, but requires a socio-cultural response, inclusive of culture and education. The essay spotlights theClimate-U project and askshow higher education institutions in the Global South can contribute to tackling climate change. This essay is part of the British Council’s Climate Connection
Suggested citation
Nussey, C. (2021) Rethinking the unthinkable: what can educational engagements with culture offer the climate crisis?, British Council Cultural Relations Collection (online).