Science with society: Evidence-based guidance for best practices in environmental transdisciplinary work

Steger, Cara; Klein, Julia A.; Reid, Robin S.; Lavorel, Sandra; Tucker, Catherine M.; Hopping, Kelly A.; Marchant, Rob; Teel, Tara L.; Cuní-Sanchez, Aida; Dorji, Tsechoe; Greenwood, Gregory B.; Huber, Robert; Kassam, Karim-Aly; Kreuer, David; Nolin, A. W.; Russell, A.J.M.; Sharp, Julia L.; Hribar, Mateja Šmid; Thorn, Jessica P. R.; Grant, Gordon E.; Mahdi, M.A.; Moreno, Miguel Eduardo Torres; Waiswa, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102240

Cited by 68 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Preliminary data from Kibira NP in Burundi also indicates that the Twa are facing a similar situation: no adaptation to climatic changes because limited livelihood options following eviction. To help Twa adapt to climatic changes, we recommend the use of "science with society" (SWS) participative (or transdisciplinary) approach (Steger et al, 2021), an iterative process that brings together actors (including local communities) to engage in knowledge co-production: in this case, to identify the best pathway towards adaptation. Notably, given that Twa are a marginalized remote community, the longer-term actions towards increasing desirable forms of resilience need to take account short-term realities and needs, including food security (Maru et al, 2014).…”

Section: Implications Of the Results And Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and hunter-gatherers in montane eastern DR Congo

Batumike¹,

Bulonvu²,

Imani

et al. 2021

Climate and Development

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Section: Implications Of the Results And Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and hunter-gatherers in montane eastern DR Congo

Batumike¹,

Bulonvu²,

Imani

et al. 2021

Climate and Development

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“…In light of growing inequality-particularly during the coronavirus pandemicand wider transformations in Tanzanian society, policies should carefully consider how wealth from subsistence and commercial farming and mixed sector off-farm income can be reinvested in locally produced, employment-intensive goods and services to reduce inequality, secure the livelihoods current and new workers, and drive intensification [90]. Better international cooperation and faster development action is needed to limit the loss of traditional knowledge in mountain farming communities [2,104].…”

Section: Broader Implications For Policy and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such approaches typically fail to reach mountain communities, overlook the vital importance of context, and mobilise communities' profound attachment to nature from cultivating parcels of land on mountain slopes for centuries [27,65,105]. To identify promising future adaptation pathways, we recommend the use of a 'science with society' participative, transdisciplinary approach [104], an iterative process that brings together actors to engage in knowledge co-production. Appreciating cultural values helps build trust between local peoples and other agencies and provides a closer understanding of differentiated climate hazard exposure, vulnerabilities, risk, and resilience [19].…”

Section: Broader Implications For Policy and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Local Perceptions of Climate Change and Adaptation Responses from Two Mountain Regions in Tanzania

Kaganzi¹,

Cuní-Sanchez

Mcharazo

et al. 2021

Land

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Mountain environments and communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change. Changes in temperature are greater than at lower elevations, which affect the height of the cloud base and local rainfall patterns. While our knowledge of the biophysical nature of climate change in East Africa has increased in the past few years, research on Indigenous farmers’ perceptions and adaptation responses is still lacking, particularly in mountains regions. Semi-structured interviews were administered to 300 farmers on Mount Kilimanjaro (n = 150) and the Udzungwa Mountains (n = 150) in Tanzania across gender and wealth groups. Respondents in both mountains reported not only changes in rainfall and temperature, corresponding with meteorological data, but also a greater incidence of fog, wind, frost, and hailstorms—with impacts on decreased crop yields and increased outbreaks of pests. The most common adaptation strategies used were improved crop varieties and inputs. Wealthier households diversified into horticulture or animal rearing, while poorer households of Hehe ethnicity diversified to labour and selling firewood. Despite being climate change literate and having access to radios, most respondents used Indigenous knowledge to decide on planting dates. Our findings highlight how context and culture are important when designing adaptation options and argue for greater involvement of local stakeholders in adaptation planning using a science-with-society approach. Place-based results offer generalisable insights that have application for other mountains in the Global South.

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“…We define a problem as Pearce and Ejderyan (2020) in the sense that a problem exists when a current state differs from a desired state. The foremost importance of establishing a joint problem for participatory research-when stakeholders and scientists jointly frame the problem at stake-has been repeatedly stated (Hirsch-Hadorn et al 2008;Jahn et al 2012;Norström et al 2020;Steger et al 2021). In practice, this process is rarely documented (Etienne, 2013) as framing the problem itself is mentioned as an important step but the description of real processes are missing (Pearce and Ejderyan 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Game of Cruxes: co-designing a game for scientists and stakeholders for identifying joint problems

et al. 2021

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Scientists increasingly cross their disciplinary boundaries and connect with local stakeholders to jointly solve complex problems. Working with stakeholders means higher legitimacy and supports practical impact of research. Games provide a tool to achieve such transdisciplinary collaboration. In this paper, we explore the use of a game in a participatory project where scientists and local stakeholders are seeking and defining a joint problem. The literature is clear that this step is essential but remains short on concrete methods. Here, we explore this potential in practice. We conducted parallel participatory processes in two alpine regions considered as socio-ecological system (SES) in Switzerland and France, both vulnerable to global change. Based on these two case studies, we co-constructed a game, integrating scientific concerns about key land use, climate change and socio-economic elements of a mountain SES (tourism, agriculture, housing and demography). With the game, we assessed the existence of joint problems connecting scientific and local interests. The game successfully engaged participants at both sites over 11 game sessions, showing potential of use in other transdisciplinary settings. By covering a wide array of issues, the game created a discussion space for listing problems and identifying where scientist and stakeholder interests overlap. In Switzerland, the game revealed no pressing joint problem to be addressed. In France, game sessions revealed, among other problems, an enduring and complex issue regarding the co-existence of inhabitants and powerful institutions. Having demonstrated the capacity of this game for joint-problem assessment, we believe other participatory research in similar SES could benefit from an early use of such an approach to frame the potential for collaboration.

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Science with society: Evidence-based guidance for best practices in environmental transdisciplinary work

Cited by 68 publications

References 84 publications

Climate change and hunter-gatherers in montane eastern DR Congo

Climate change and hunter-gatherers in montane eastern DR Congo

Local Perceptions of Climate Change and Adaptation Responses from Two Mountain Regions in Tanzania

Game of Cruxes: co-designing a game for scientists and stakeholders for identifying joint problems

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