The conclusion to the book situates the chapters within four programs of anthropological research on climate change: (1) documentation of local impacts of and adaptations to climate change, (2) connections to socioeconomic and political contexts, (3) collaborations with nonanthropologists, and (4) activism and social transformation. The final section notes the persistent challenges to creating positive change and meaningful research outcomes. It highlights some examples of success and outlines future directions for politically engaged anthropological work around climate change. Keywords Climate change • Collaborative research • Environmental anthropology • Democratization • Decolonizing research 243-258 12.1 Decolonizing Environmental Knowledge and Climate Change Research Anyone who has spent time among people who make their living off the land-farmers, fishers, animal producers-can attest to their resourcefulness, their resilience in the face of hazards and changes, and their detailed knowledge of the natural environment in which they live and work. Some would argue that it is a matter of survival to be so attentive, creative and cooperative. Others might point to the collective wisdom passed down over generations of trial, error and innovation. In my own work with smallholder farmers in Northeast Brazil, I have listened to stories proudly told about persistence despite economic hardship, endurance through suffering in times of drought, and hard-won success after trying some new technique or crop. I was a witness to their labour and I saw clearly the connections between moral worth and willingness to undertake difficult work (Pennesi 2015). What I also observed repeatedly was a deep sense of frustration among peasant farmers, sometimes bordering on resignation, with the political and economic systems that constrained their pursuits and disadvantaged them in relation to large-scale agribusiness, city-dwellers or others with more money and influence. Over ten years of doing research in the state of Ceará, I heard from many people that agropastoralism could be more successful there, even at the subsistence level, if there were better management of water resources and government policies to support infrastructure and social development appropriate to the semi-arid climate. "Conviver com o semi-árido" ('living with the semi-arid') is a phrase often used to describe policies and programs that are progressive in building capacity for sustainable production in rural areas of the Brazilian Northeast. In reviewing related literature-including the preceding chapters of this book-I have learned that the problem I see in Ceará is one familiar to those who work with peasant farmers or subsistence fishers in other parts of the world. Political, economic and social structures limit the adaptive capacity of individuals and communities, increasing vulnerability to natural hazards such as droughts and floods. The obvious conclusion is that if natural disasters are a product of both environmental conditions and social factors (Blai...
