Prioritising well‐being and resilience to ‘build back better’: insights from a Dominican small‐scale fishing community

Abstract

Climate change is increasing the severity of extreme weather events, particularly hurricanes, presenting a significant challenge to Caribbean coastal communities. In the aftermath of a major disaster, government interventions typically prioritise infrastructure, assets, and the economy through rebuilding roads, reviving economic sectors, and providing financial compensation. This is driven by a focus on macro-level quantitative indicators rather than by local, multidimensional subjective and relational factors, closer to lived experiences and livelihoods. Using frameworks outlining social well-being and agency, this paper explores strategies used by a fisheries-dependent community in Dominica to recover from Hurricane Maria in 2017 and pursue well-being. The findings highlight the importance of multidimensional well-being, particularly relational and subjective dimensions, including existing social networks, and personal relationships critical for recovery after Maria. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates how recovery initiatives that concentrate solely on material well-being, such as employment, can undermine agency in the capacity of a community to recover and build resilience.

Exploring the relationship between plural values of nature, human well‐being, and conservation and development intervention: Why it matters and how to do it?

“…Climate, conservation and development interventions must be anchored in locally relevant theory of change models that are informed by an understanding of previous interventions and their impacts (including the perceived impacts) on local stakeholders (Forster et al., 2022). Taking into consideration the learning afforded by past interventions (e.g.…”

“…Such extension must capture the plurality of values that people hold for place (and that contribute to place‐based well‐being) (Agarwala et al., 2014). A suite of approaches for doing so is available (Carmenta et al., 2022; Cundill et al., 2017; Forster et al., 2022; McKinnon et al., 2016; Rasmussen et al., 2018) yet has remained largely absent from routine impact evaluation (Pascual et al., 2023). The IPBES global values assessment provided important insights into approaches to capturing the diverse values of nature and called for their integration into decision‐making and policymaking (IPBES, 2022).…”

Climate Change-Induced Livelihood Vulnerabilities in South Western Coastal Region of Bangladesh

“…In this study, people enrolled in various economic activities but many of them are involved in agricultural works including land owners, leasing farmers, agricultural labor, fishing farms, fishing, and fishing labor. Most of the coastal people are embroiled in agricultural activity particularly cropping fields and fishing (Forster et al, 2022).…”