Local Perceptions of Climate Change Impacts in St. Kitts (Caribbean Sea) and Malé, Maldives (Indian Ocean)

Atmosphere

Daniel Němec¹  David Prochazka²  Jaromir Landa³  Robert Stojanov⁴  Graeme Brown⁴  Radomir Tichy⁴  CorinneL. Hofman⁵  Ilan Kelman⁶  CharlotteEloise Stancioff⁷ 

[1] Disaster Reduction and Institute for Global Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK;Department of Archaeology, Philosophical Faculty, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové 50003, Czech Republic;Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, Brno 60200, Czech Republic;Department of Informatics, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno 61300, Czech Republic;Department of Physical Planning and Environment, Ministry of Sustainable Development (DPPE), P.O. Box 597, Bladen Commercial Development, Basseterre, St. Kitts;;Institute for Risk &Van Steenis Building Einsteinweg, Leiden University, 22333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands;

关键词: small islands;    local perceptions;    environmental change;    climate change;   

DOI  :  10.3390/atmos9120459

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are now experiencing the local consequences of a changing climate, environment, and society. Nonetheless, climate change research frequently remains at regional or national levels. Without locally grounded data, islanders’ perceived impacts of the changes might not be considered, thereby causing difficulties when policy and practice responses are implemented without accounting for local understandings. To contribute to addressing this gap, this study examines perceptions of climate change and associated environmental and social changes in two SIDS case studies: St. Kitts in the Caribbean Sea and Malé Atoll, Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Through these two case studies, we assess perceptions of changing social and natural environments through a closed-question, face-to-face survey. Our results suggest that in both island case studies, communities perceive environmental changes to be happening that demand negotiation with the social changes of daily life. Results also suggest that perceived climate change impacts are only part of the equation, as social and economic impacts reveal two case studies of changing island societies. While the geographic context in each case study differs, this study reveals the perceived impacts of climate change and social changes at a local level, providing valuable insights and angles for formulating policies and actions to deal with the myriad of social and environmental changes affecting SIDS.

【 授权许可】

Unknown