Coastal communities in Ecuador – and worldwide – are vulnerable to climate change due to both marine and inland pressures. Studies predict that climatic changes will impact strongly on coastal zones, with particularly negative effects on communities that rely on mangrove ecosystems for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, relatively few studies have determined how these communities perceive climate change and other environmental changes witnessed during their lifetime. This research gathered primary information from two Ecuadorian coastal communities, as well as data from non-governmental organizations, global scientists, government, and national institutes in an effort to discover where information gaps or points of collaboration exist. At the community level, environmental change was often attributed to the drastic effects of the shrimp farm industry, deforestation of mangrove and tropical forests, and El Niño (ENSO) events. Participants mentioned God, a displeased nature, and the climate being loco (crazy) as other factors affecting change. The richness of local ecological knowledge in the communities studied indicates a need for more bottom-up information through monitoring and dialogue around entry points. Addressing vulnerabilities and adaptation requires a focus on the local context and pressing issues of food security, freshwater, pollution, and diminishing fish species which are currently overshadowing climate change as priority issues. Accordingly, collaboration around mangrove restoration may be an effective win-win climate adaptation strategy. / Climate change in Ecuador's coastal communities and mangrove ecosystems: Local knowledge, perceptions, and priorities

Project (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Includes final project proposal. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-155, 52-57).

Coastal erosion, population decline, and economic deterioration, in the rural coastal community of Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, are concerns upon which the provincial government is focused. This thesis explores how ideas of permanence, adaptation, and sacrifice can engage the prevailing erosion of both the coastline and community, in terms of the physical cliff face, population, and economy. Articulating methods of responding to the various conditions of erosion enables an evolving and didactic architecture, which can become a catalyst to stimulate the economy and create stability for the town. Strategies of site placement, as well as technologies of geological formation, historic mining practices, and adaptation approaches, explored in this thesis, provide examples of how prototypical architecture and programmatic insertions can create a viable solution to erosion in this coastal town.

As the impacts of climate change become more severe, coastal communities are required to prepare plans for adaptation to the invasive environmental changes. A well-prepared adaptation plan can effectively reduce the overall risks of coastal communities. However, a plan is not the final solution for the climate change on coastal communities. How to take the plan into action and implement it in the local communities and find the opportunities for the enhanced preparedness and development of coastal communities is the primary consideration of this thesis research. Many organizations are engaged in developing adaptation tools and guidebooks. For completing their adaptation plans, communities need to develop clear, operational, action plans, and discover the opportunities to enhance the sustainability of coastal communities. To make coastal communities more sustainable in the face of the changing climate, the public’s attention and community participation is critical. The purpose of this study is to develop an adaptation framework and action plan process system for coastal communities and at the same time, provide the general public with an enhanced opportunity to contribute their understanding about what is being done for their costal community around them and how to react when an event happens. The research is applied to the coastal communities of Richmond County, Cape Breton, Canada as a case study. The result of the work develops an adaptation “Action Plan” website for Richmond County. The website features the development, application, and simulation of a mobile communication “Action plan” application designed and implemented with the action website along to provide coastal community with communication options that exploit the local community network and enhance the community’s capacity for climate change adaptation. The emergency response community mobile app and the accompanying website are models for other communities especially those that from the coastal communities in Canada and the Caribbean as part of the C-Change ICURA project to which this research is affiliated.

Project (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Includes final project proposal. Description based on Print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-155, 52-57).

Scientific evidence points to a changing global climate. The most vital and visible impacts of this phenomenon for sea-level communities are sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and more frequent severe coastal storms. However, limited research has been conducted to date to project the damage from rising maximum water levels and corresponding storm surges, and their impacts on the sustainability of coastal communities. This research focuses on the urban coastal community of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), Canada as part of the C-Change International Community University research Alliance (ICURA), “Managing Adaptation to Environmental Change in Coastal Communities: Canada and the Caribbean.” The stochastic process that underlies, maximum observed water levels in Charlottetown, is modeled using historical data. Maximum observed water levels and storm surges are represented by fitted conditional and marginal univariate probability density functions. The statistical package “Easy-Fit” is used as a tool for analyzing goodness of fit to the historical data for maximum observed water levels in Charlottetown. A System Dynamics (SD) model, using STELLA, is developed to simulate the projected impacts of maximum observed water levels on the City of Charlottetown. The SD model captures the dynamics of the four pillars of community sustainability, namely Environmental, Economic, Social-Cultural and Human sectors identified for the City of Charlottetown. The model defines and evaluates the robustness of alternative adaptation strategies for various model scenarios to projected storms over a long-term planning period. The results quantify the vulnerability of Charlottetown. The analysis of the results from implementing 3 main adaptation strategies for protection, accommodation, and retreat scenarios as well as the ones from the most common current response of “doing nothing”, provide information on the dynamic and pillar-related impacts of storms on Charlottetown. Analysis of these strategy options clearly indicates that doing nothing in the face of more frequent severe storms is an inefficient strategy. Model results show that the protect strategy is unlikely to deliver complete protection, and the retreat option is costly and not well received. The accommodation strategy including a combination of protection options and controlled retreat will provide the most robust option for the coastal City of Charlottetown. The SD model and analysis provides a framework for the evaluation of adaptation strategies for alternative coastal communities.

As the impacts of climate change become more severe, coastal communities are required to prepare plans for adaptation to the invasive environmental changes. A well-prepared adaptation plan can effectively reduce the overall risks of coastal communities. However, a plan is not the final solution for the climate change on coastal communities. How to take the plan into action and implement it in the local communities and find the opportunities for the enhanced preparedness and development of coastal communities is the primary consideration of this thesis research. Many organizations are engaged in developing adaptation tools and guidebooks. For completing their adaptation plans, communities need to develop clear, operational, action plans, and discover the opportunities to enhance the sustainability of coastal communities. To make coastal communities more sustainable in the face of the changing climate, the public’s attention and community participation is critical. The purpose of this study is to develop an adaptation framework and action plan process system for coastal communities and at the same time, provide the general public with an enhanced opportunity to contribute their understanding about what is being done for their costal community around them and how to react when an event happens. The research is applied to the coastal communities of Richmond County, Cape Breton, Canada as a case study. The result of the work develops an adaptation “Action Plan” website for Richmond County. The website features the development, application, and simulation of a mobile communication “Action plan” application designed and implemented with the action website along to provide coastal community with communication options that exploit the local community network and enhance the community’s capacity for climate change adaptation. The emergency response community mobile app and the accompanying website are models for other communities especially those that from the coastal communities in Canada and the Caribbean as part of the C-Change ICURA project to which this research is affiliated.

Climate change impacts have been shown to increase the social, economic and ecological vulnerabilities of poor groups in coastal communities of Asian countries. Mangunharjo village in Semarang city, Indonesia, has been identified as vulnerable to sea level rise, coastal erosion, tidal inundation and flooding, and the well-being of residents is threatened due to loss of livelihoods. In order to secure their future, the community has to enhance its resilience to climate change impacts, however, additional factors are undermining thepotential of a resilient and prosperous village. As resilience theory carried out in practice could negatively affect already marginalized people if trade-offs are not identified, a complementing theory is needed. This study develops a novel joint framework of resilience theory and environmental justice for analyzing the potential of enhancin gthe community’s resilience. It also explores what is needed for the village in order to increase its resilience. The framework revealed to be successful in identifying root problems and highlighted deficiencies in current resilience strategies. Moreover, the incorporation of environmental justice broadened the perspective of what could weaken the resilience ofthe village. Hence, an environmental justice perspective complements resilience theory as it identifies potential trade-offs and analyzes whose resilience is enhanced. The framework is argued to be a useful tool to secure resilience of a social-ecological system of various scales, however, further research is needed onthe optimal linkages of the two theories.

Ao longo dos tempos, os cetáceos têm estado metaforicamente próximos à espécie humana o que tem revelado uma inter-relação ambígua, uma vez que podem evocar imagens de inteligência e mistério ao mesmo tempo em que servem como fonte de subsistência e de exploração econômica. Sem dúvida alguma, a relação positiva entre homens e cetáceos atingiu seu ápice na antiga civilização grega e prova disso são os registros históricos das lendas e mitos relacionados aos golfinhos. Por outro lado, sabe-se que a caça a baleia é uma atividade muito antiga praticada desde a pré-história por povos antigos. Os dias atuais ainda refletem a ambigüidade da relação homem/cetáceo. Contudo, as descobertas científicas das últimas décadas trouxeram a possibilidade de um relacionamento positivo com esses animais, especialmente no que se refere ao turismo de observação em contraposição à continuidade/retorno da caça comercial. Em vários lugares do mundo encontramos diferentes comunidades tradicionais que mantém um relacionamento de admiração e respeito com os cetáceos, gerando um conhecimento aprimorado sobre diferentes aspectos de sua biologia e ecologia. Sob as luzes interdisciplinares da etnociência, deu-se continuidade e ampliou-se o estudo das relações e conexões entre pescadores caiçaras tradicionais e as espécies de cetáceos ocorrentes ao longo do Complexo estuarino-lagunar de Cananéia. Os resultados indicam que os caiçaras são capazes de perceber e prever mudanças climáticas, classificar e localizar espacialmente organismos marinhos e elaborar complexas cadeias tróficas. Apresentam uma percepção acurada com relação à biologia e ecologia do boto Sotalia guianensis (CETACEA; DELPHINIDAE), especialmente em relação ao comportamento, hábitos alimentares e reprodutivos da espécie, e possuem um conhecimento generalizado sobre outros mamíferos aquáticos. A transmissão cultural desse conhecimento ocorre de forma vertical (entre gerações) e também de forma horizontal (dentro da mesma geração). A comunidade caiçara de Cananéia deve ser devidamente incorporada aos processos decisórios relacionados ao tema sócio-ambiental, bem como, nas tomadas de decisão relacionadas ao gerenciamento das atividades turísticas visando à promoção da prática de um turismo participativo e de base sustentável. Esse envolvimento deve ser planejado e avaliado de forma intensamente participativa, respeitando-se os critérios legislativos e também aqueles estabelecidos pelos próprios representantes dessas comunidades. As questões relacionadas à área sócio-ambiental devem ser tratadas de forma interdisciplinar com a finalidade de se compor um cenário cooperativo para a construção de propostas participativas que não criem condições de exclusão das comunidades, mas sim, as incorpore no processo de forma a se respeitar e valorizar os seus saberes e fazeres tradicionais. Novos modelos de propostas conservacionistas interdisciplinares devem ser construídos de forma a promover a inclusão sócio-ambiental das comunidades tradicionais, evitando assim, conflitos e má utilização de Unidades de Conservação. Respeitar o conhecimento e a cultura caiçara local torna-se fundamental para que se tenha a dimensão exata das estratégias de conservação das espécies e ecossistemas do Lagamar. / Throughout the years, cetaceans have been metaphorically close to humans, and this has revealed an ambiguous inter-relationship, since they may evoke images of intelligence and mystery at the same time they are sources of subsistence and economic exploration. Undoubtedly, the positive human-cetacean relation has peaked during the ancient Greek civilization, as proven by historical records of dolphin-related legends and myths. On the other hand, it is known that the whale hunting is a very old activity, practiced since the pre-history by ancient civilizations. Current days still reflects this ambiguity between human and cetaceans. However, the scientific discoveries of the last decades have brought a possibility of a positive relationship with these animals, especially about the whale watching in opposition to the continuance/return of the commercial hunting. It can be found in several places of the world traditional communities that keep an admiration and respect relationship with these animals, creating and improving knowledge about different aspects of their biology and ecology. Under the interdisciplinary lights of etnoscience, the continuity and enlargement of the study of the relations and conexions between traditional caiçaras fishermen and the cetaceans' species that occurs in the "Complexo Estuarino-Lagunar de Cananéia" have been established. Our results show the ability of caiçaras to notice and anticipate climatological changes, classify and locate marine organisms and elaborate complex trofic chains. They have and accurate perception in relation to the biology and ecology of the estuarine dolphin, Sotalia guianensis (CETACEA; DELPHINIDAE), especially about their behavior, reproductive and feeding habits, and have also a general knowledge about other species of aquatic mammals. The transmission of cultural knowledge occurs in a vertical manner (between generations) and in a horizontal manner (in the same generation). The Cananéia's caiçara community must be properly incorporated to the resolution process related to environmental themes, such as in the decisions related to the management of touristic activities intending to promote participative and self-sustained tourism. This involvement must be planned and valued in a very participative way, respecting the legal rules and also, the ones established by the people that represents these communities. The questions related to the environmental area must be treated in an interdisciplinary way, aiming the construction of a cooperative scene, to build a participative proposal that don't excludes the communities, but keep them incorporated to the creation process, respecting and valorizing their traditional knowledge and actions. New models of interdisciplinary conservacionist proposals must be building, intending to promote the environmental inclusion of traditional communities, avoiding conflicts and bad uses of forest preserve. Keep the respect is fundamental to the local caiçara's knowledge and culture. That is the way to gain the exact dimension of the conservation strategies of Lagamar's species and ecosystem.

Ao longo dos tempos, os cetáceos têm estado metaforicamente próximos à espécie humana o que tem revelado uma inter-relação ambígua, uma vez que podem evocar imagens de inteligência e mistério ao mesmo tempo em que servem como fonte de subsistência e de exploração econômica. Sem dúvida alguma, a relação positiva entre homens e cetáceos atingiu seu ápice na antiga civilização grega e prova disso são os registros históricos das lendas e mitos relacionados aos golfinhos. Por outro lado, sabe-se que a caça a baleia é uma atividade muito antiga praticada desde a pré-história por povos antigos. Os dias atuais ainda refletem a ambigüidade da relação homem/cetáceo. Contudo, as descobertas científicas das últimas décadas trouxeram a possibilidade de um relacionamento positivo com esses animais, especialmente no que se refere ao turismo de observação em contraposição à continuidade/retorno da caça comercial. Em vários lugares do mundo encontramos diferentes comunidades tradicionais que mantém um relacionamento de admiração e respeito com os cetáceos, gerando um conhecimento aprimorado sobre diferentes aspectos de sua biologia e ecologia. Sob as luzes interdisciplinares da etnociência, deu-se continuidade e ampliou-se o estudo das relações e conexões entre pescadores caiçaras tradicionais e as espécies de cetáceos ocorrentes ao longo do Complexo estuarino-lagunar de Cananéia. Os resultados indicam que os caiçaras são capazes de perceber e prever mudanças climáticas, classificar e localizar espacialmente organismos marinhos e elaborar complexas cadeias tróficas. Apresentam uma percepção acurada com relação à biologia e ecologia do boto Sotalia guianensis (CETACEA; DELPHINIDAE), especialmente em relação ao comportamento, hábitos alimentares e reprodutivos da espécie, e possuem um conhecimento generalizado sobre outros mamíferos aquáticos. A transmissão cultural desse conhecimento ocorre de forma vertical (entre gerações) e também de forma horizontal (dentro da mesma geração). A comunidade caiçara de Cananéia deve ser devidamente incorporada aos processos decisórios relacionados ao tema sócio-ambiental, bem como, nas tomadas de decisão relacionadas ao gerenciamento das atividades turísticas visando à promoção da prática de um turismo participativo e de base sustentável. Esse envolvimento deve ser planejado e avaliado de forma intensamente participativa, respeitando-se os critérios legislativos e também aqueles estabelecidos pelos próprios representantes dessas comunidades. As questões relacionadas à área sócio-ambiental devem ser tratadas de forma interdisciplinar com a finalidade de se compor um cenário cooperativo para a construção de propostas participativas que não criem condições de exclusão das comunidades, mas sim, as incorpore no processo de forma a se respeitar e valorizar os seus saberes e fazeres tradicionais. Novos modelos de propostas conservacionistas interdisciplinares devem ser construídos de forma a promover a inclusão sócio-ambiental das comunidades tradicionais, evitando assim, conflitos e má utilização de Unidades de Conservação. Respeitar o conhecimento e a cultura caiçara local torna-se fundamental para que se tenha a dimensão exata das estratégias de conservação das espécies e ecossistemas do Lagamar. / Throughout the years, cetaceans have been metaphorically close to humans, and this has revealed an ambiguous inter-relationship, since they may evoke images of intelligence and mystery at the same time they are sources of subsistence and economic exploration. Undoubtedly, the positive human-cetacean relation has peaked during the ancient Greek civilization, as proven by historical records of dolphin-related legends and myths. On the other hand, it is known that the whale hunting is a very old activity, practiced since the pre-history by ancient civilizations. Current days still reflects this ambiguity between human and cetaceans. However, the scientific discoveries of the last decades have brought a possibility of a positive relationship with these animals, especially about the whale watching in opposition to the continuance/return of the commercial hunting. It can be found in several places of the world traditional communities that keep an admiration and respect relationship with these animals, creating and improving knowledge about different aspects of their biology and ecology. Under the interdisciplinary lights of etnoscience, the continuity and enlargement of the study of the relations and conexions between traditional caiçaras fishermen and the cetaceans' species that occurs in the "Complexo Estuarino-Lagunar de Cananéia" have been established. Our results show the ability of caiçaras to notice and anticipate climatological changes, classify and locate marine organisms and elaborate complex trofic chains. They have and accurate perception in relation to the biology and ecology of the estuarine dolphin, Sotalia guianensis (CETACEA; DELPHINIDAE), especially about their behavior, reproductive and feeding habits, and have also a general knowledge about other species of aquatic mammals. The transmission of cultural knowledge occurs in a vertical manner (between generations) and in a horizontal manner (in the same generation). The Cananéia's caiçara community must be properly incorporated to the resolution process related to environmental themes, such as in the decisions related to the management of touristic activities intending to promote participative and self-sustained tourism. This involvement must be planned and valued in a very participative way, respecting the legal rules and also, the ones established by the people that represents these communities. The questions related to the environmental area must be treated in an interdisciplinary way, aiming the construction of a cooperative scene, to build a participative proposal that don't excludes the communities, but keep them incorporated to the creation process, respecting and valorizing their traditional knowledge and actions. New models of interdisciplinary conservacionist proposals must be building, intending to promote the environmental inclusion of traditional communities, avoiding conflicts and bad uses of forest preserve. Keep the respect is fundamental to the local caiçara's knowledge and culture. That is the way to gain the exact dimension of the conservation strategies of Lagamar's species and ecosystem.