CALL FOR PAPERS
Special Issue Local Environment - The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability THEME: 'Local Peoples and Climate Change' Special Issue Brief The special issue, Local Peoples and Climate Change, has the specific purpose of bringing together the voices and experiences of diverse local peoples who are witness to and negotiators of the current impacts of climate change. In some cases, such as those from Tuvalu and the Inuit, the voices of concern have been raised for some time (e.g., McDonald et. al. 1997; Watt-Cloutier 1998) yet fallen on a predominantly disinterested audience. The recent flurry of media attention has increased the volume of these voices, yet the adaptive processes and mechanisms that have been needed - and are foreseen to be needed in the immediate future - are less explored by the media, policy analysts or academics. Nevertheless, there have been and are serious efforts underway to better understand socio-ecological systems and the resilience of humans, i.e., their ability to adapt to changing circumstances. In particular, the literature on resilience (Adger et. al. 2005; Berkes and Folke 1998; Berkes and Jolly 2001; Brown et al 2006; Folke 2006), adaptive capacity (Adger 2003; Brooks and Adger 2005; Barnett 2001; Dow et. al. 2006; Grothmann and Patt 2005; Haddad 2005; Kelly and Adger 2000), human development (UNDP 2005; Young and Einarsson 2004), human security (Alkire2003; O'Brien 2006) and vulnerability (Adger 2006; Alwang et. al. 2001; Eakin 2005; Ford and Smit 2004; McCarthy et.al. 2001) have made a significant contribution to constructing a better picture and developing new models of resilience. While some of this literature argues that "the capacity to adapt to climate hazards and stresses depends on a country's wealth, resources and governance," it does less to highlight the specific, local interventions that are used to adapt to circumstances, irrespective of wealth, resources and (presumably 'stable, democratic') governance (Dow and Downing 2007: 85). This research is significant and needed, but other ways of expressing existing forms of resilience and adaptation exist, including through the voices of local peoples. It is imperative that we not only represent, but actually hear and integrate, these local voices. Some researchers have done so (e.g., Berkes and Jolly 2001; Barnett and Busse 2002), yet a steady, focused set of publications on the topic - using a range of disciplines and ethnographic approaches, including by and for the local peoples themselves - has not yet been generated. The special issue invites contributors from around the world to provide examples of the real climate change impacts for their locality and cultures. In doing so, they will be asked to address the questions posed above as well as to provide any new questions or answers to better inform practitioners and lay people alike about what will be needed to manage now and into the future. The contributors will be asked to consider whether the current form of governmental structure and policy - in their country, regionally or globally - provided what was needed. And, if it did not, contributors will be asked to suggest adaptive mechanisms, including in policy or institutionally, that could yield better outcomes in the future. In doing so, the contributors will also be asked to consider the notion of 'justice' - for the local community as well as in the context of a global community. In order not to pre-determine the types of adaptive mechanisms, though, contributors will be asked to use their own voice, local knowledge and experience to express and explain the impacts of climate change from their unique, local perspective. Potential contributors Potential contributors come from a range of regions, given the current impacts of climate change. As noted above, peoples of the Arctic and Small Island States will have particular relevance, given these areas showed the earliest signs of change - and are showing the greatest degree of change. There are other significant changes that can yield lessons on adaptive measures and resilience. These changes are located all around the world, including, but not limited to, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Costa Rica, Greenland, Iceland, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Sudan and the United States. Further Information & Contact Details The theme of this special issue has not been undertaken elsewhere and will complement the significant research on socio-ecological systems adaptation and resilience (cited above). All contributions need to be received by 15 October 2009. Individuals interested in contributing to this special issue should contact: Stefanie Rixecker Faculty of Environment, Society & Design Lincoln University PO Box 84 Lincoln New Zealand stefanie.rixec...@lincoln.ac.nz Special Editor Brief Bio Stefanie Rixecker is the Dean of the Faculty of Environment, Society and Design at Lincoln University, New Zealand. She is also the Leader of the Global Justice & Environmental Policy theme at the Land, Environment and People (LEaP) Research Centre. Her research expertise is in environmental policy design, and her work focuses on the intersection of environmental justice and policy relating to vulnerable and minority communities. Her current work addresses the human dimensions of climate change and the geopolitics of oil. IN addition to book chapters and international conference papers, she has published in cross-disciplinary journals, including Policy Sciences, Society & Natural Resources, World Archaeology, Journal of Genocide Research and the International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision-Making. In December 2008, she was invited to give a Public Lecture at the University of Cambridge (UK) on the intersection of human rights and the environment. She did so based on her research expertise and in her capacity as the Chair of the Governance Board for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information about the Local Environment Style Guide, see: www.tandf.co.uk/journals/carfax/13549839.html
