NI: SUNRISE: Situated Understanding of Resilience in Island Societies and Environments

Climate resilience is generally defined as the capacity to: (1) maintain function in the face of external stressors (i.e. climate impacts) and/or (2) adapt so as to be better prepared for future climate change impacts. Small islands are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change due to rising temperatures and sea levels, land loss, and increasing extreme weather risks, making climate resilience a major priority. Yet, while climate resilience is being practiced across multiple island states and regions, there is little scholarship that considers individual examples of impacts and adaptations in the larger context of 'islandness'. Existing scholarship tends to focus on islands within geographical (e.g. Pacific) or socio-economic (e.g. Small Island Developing States, or SIDS) groupings. By assuming that island experiences are grounded solely in shared geographical space or socio-economic contexts, rather than shared 'islandness' (grounded in states of smallness, boundedness, isolation and fragmentation), this siloed approach stymies opportunities to identify transferable practices, limiting understanding of island-related issues in climate resilience.
Arguably, this stems in part from methodological deficits. Approaches used in global and regional climate impact assessments are often poorly suited to small islands and especially atolls, with climate models especially constrained in their ability to provide information on local scales. Additionally, little is known about the existing, culturally-grounded coping capacity of island communities, and to what extent these traits promote good adaptation (which, unlike coping, involves sustainable long-term responses), particularly in peripheral/rural islands where data is scarce compared to core/urban areas.
Through the establishment of an international, interdisciplinary collaboration on island climate resilience, SUNRISE will address these issues. By applying their complimentary skills and expertise in a diverse set of island contexts (Scotish Isles, Mauritius, Fiji), the research team will develop new approaches that bridge the gaps around how islandness is accounted for in climate impacts research. SUNRISE will pilot new approaches through a series of focus groups and household surveys centred on perceptions of climate change impacts, informed by place-based, culturally-grounded usage of climate and environmental data. In doing so, SUNRISE will seek to situate varied, individual examples of place-based climate impacts and resilient practice within the wider context of small island experiences.

SUNRISE has economic and societal impacts, specifically policy, cultural and attitudinal impact. Beneficiaries may include government ministries, local authorities, community groups, networks and associations, charities and third sector organisations, and the public.

The project seeks to work with partners to translate research into benefits and impacts for both the specific island communities included as field sites, and island communities in general. Both at the local and national scale, this research has potential to contribute to evidence-based policy in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and coastal management, in particular. Through this policy relevance, SUNRISE has potential for economic and societal impact, enhancing the knowledge of community and regional organisations tasked with responding to climate impacts, informing practitioners and policy-makers, and augmenting the effectiveness of climate adaptation interventions, with resultant positive impacts on environmental sustainability, social cohesion and quality of life. This is especially pertinent in the case of island communities given the heightened threat that climate change poses to the sense of identity and 'lived values' of island peoples.

By drawing attention to the changing relationships between environment, climate and society at each field site, the project will increase public awareness of climate change and natural hazards, and engagement with adaptation and resilience. This enhanced public awareness has the potential to impact significantly on environmental sustainability also, with resultant impacts in both the short and long-term on quality of life and social cohesion.