1
|
Mach KJ, Jagannathan K, Shi L, Turek-Hankins LL, Arnold JR, Brelsford C, Flores AN, Gao J, Martín CE, McCollum DL, Moss R, Niemann J, Rashleigh B, Reed PM. Research to Confront Climate Change Complexity: Intersectionality, Integration, and Innovative Governance. EARTH'S FUTURE 2024; 12:1-17. [PMID: 38993973 PMCID: PMC11235121 DOI: 10.1029/2023ef004392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Climate impacts increasingly unfold in interlinked systems of people, nature, and infrastructure. The cascading consequences are revealing sometimes surprising connections across sectors and regions, and prospects for climate responses also depend on complex, difficult-to-understand interactions. In this commentary, we build on the innovations of the United States Fifth National Climate Assessment to suggest a framework for understanding and responding to complex climate challenges. This approach involves: (a) integration of disciplines and expertise to understand how intersectionality shapes complex climate impacts and the wide-ranging effects of climate responses, (b) collaborations among diverse knowledge holders to improve responses and better encompass intersectionality, and (c) sustained experimentation with and learning about governance approaches capable of handling the complexity of climate change. Together, these three pillars underscore that usability of climate-relevant knowledge requires transdisciplinary coordination of research and practice. We outline actionable steps for climate research to incorporate intersectionality, integration, and innovative governance, as is increasingly necessary for confronting climate complexity and sustaining equitable, ideally vibrant climate futures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharine J Mach
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Kripa Jagannathan
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Linda Shi
- Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lynée L Turek-Hankins
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | | | - Christa Brelsford
- Geospatial Sciences and Human Security Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Analytics, Intelligence, and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | | | - Jing Gao
- Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences & Data Science Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Carlos E Martín
- Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David L McCollum
- Buildings and Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
- Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Richard Moss
- Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jennifer Niemann
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Brenda Rashleigh
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Patrick M Reed
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Spake L, Hassan A, Schaffnit SB, Alam N, Amoah AS, Badjie J, Cerami C, Crampin A, Dube A, Kaye MP, Kotch R, Liew F, McLean E, Munthali-Mkandawire S, Mwalwanda L, Petersen AC, Prentice AM, Zohora FT, Watts J, Sear R, Shenk MK, Sosis R, Shaver JH. A practical guide to cross-cultural and multi-sited data collection in the biological and behavioural sciences. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231422. [PMID: 38654647 PMCID: PMC11040250 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Researchers in the biological and behavioural sciences are increasingly conducting collaborative, multi-sited projects to address how phenomena vary across ecologies. These types of projects, however, pose additional workflow challenges beyond those typically encountered in single-sited projects. Through specific attention to cross-cultural research projects, we highlight four key aspects of multi-sited projects that must be considered during the design phase to ensure success: (1) project and team management; (2) protocol and instrument development; (3) data management and documentation; and (4) equitable and collaborative practices. Our recommendations are supported by examples from our experiences collaborating on the Evolutionary Demography of Religion project, a mixed-methods project collecting data across five countries in collaboration with research partners in each host country. To existing discourse, we contribute new recommendations around team and project management, introduce practical recommendations for exploring the validity of instruments through qualitative techniques during piloting, highlight the importance of good documentation at all steps of the project, and demonstrate how data management workflows can be strengthened through open science practices. While this project was rooted in cross-cultural human behavioural ecology and evolutionary anthropology, lessons learned from this project are applicable to multi-sited research across the biological and behavioural sciences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laure Spake
- Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Anushé Hassan
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Nurul Alam
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abena S. Amoah
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jainaba Badjie
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG@LSHTM), Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Carla Cerami
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG@LSHTM), Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Amelia Crampin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
- University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Albert Dube
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Miranda P. Kaye
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Renee Kotch
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Frankie Liew
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Estelle McLean
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | - Lusako Mwalwanda
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | - Andrew M. Prentice
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG@LSHTM), Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Fatema tuz Zohora
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Joseph Watts
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca Sear
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mary K. Shenk
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - John H. Shaver
- University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|