Rapidly developing and complex climate change impacts have profound implications for coastal communities, demanding adaptation actions for both social and ecological systems. Along the coast of British Columbia, Canada, Indigenous peoples developed a tightly coupled social-ecological system that was interrupted by the arrival of settler colonialism in the 1800s. Although both climate change adaptation and the impacts of colonization have been well studied, little research has examined how these themes interact, and the conditions that may support or prevent people's ability to adapt to the social-ecological changes that emerge. Through a collaborative partnership with four First Nations and their umbrella organization for technical support, we examined people's perceptions of social and ecological aspects of adaptation to climate change. Using semistructured interviews (n = 50), four key strategies emerged as critical for climate change adaptation: (1) strengthening Indigenous governance autonomy and authority, (2) promoting knowledge sharing for adaptation practices within and among communities, (3) promoting adaptive comanagement among governance scales, and (4) developing learning platforms for climate impacts and adaptive strategies. Actions typically proposed by non-Indigenous government, including marine protected areas and ecosystem-based management were not prioritized. We found diverse attitudes toward climate change impacts, indicating that people's perceptions of adaptation strategies are strongly influenced by exposure to observable impacts, the social-ecological context in which they live, and perceptions of governance and self-determination. Our study suggests that supporting Indigenous peoples' ability to adapt to climate change will require transforming the current governance model into one that acknowledges Indigenous social, cultural, and food needs and how these relate to marine resources and territorial management rights.
Conventional wisdom has it that we already have enough science to address the problems causing degradation of our environment, including rivers. This is not true. However it is the case that we could be using existing knowledge better, and that we could be doing more to learn the lessons from the huge sums being spent on river restoration and management. Informing good policy and practical on-ground management with R&D outputs has proven to be is difficult, but essential. This paper reviews some of the history of water and river management in Australia and how perceptions of rivers have evolved. It discusses the challenge of enhancing the linkages between science, policy and practice in river management. It outlines the knowledge exchange, R&D and capacity building strategies of the National Rivers Consortium--a new initiative whose founding partners are LWRRDC, the MDBC, CSIRO Land and Water and the Western Australian Waters and Rivers Commission. This strategic collaboration between policy makers, river managers and scientists brings together organisations with responsibility and expertise to improve the health and management of Australian rivers. The National Rivers Consortium is making a major investment in knowledge exchange and capacity building, based on direct personal contact and learning by doing. The Consortium is establishing a program of training activities targeting river managers and policy makers, based on the best available science and high quality information products. It will support river managers as they plan and implement river restoration and protection projects. The paper concludes with a discussion of the key knowledge gaps that remain impediments to the better management of Australia's unique and diverse river landscapes.
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