Stories as science: Integrating lived experience and community knowledge into actionable adaptation science in Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands regions
Building resilience to climate change requires many diverse areas of expertise, experiences and knowledge. Though they have historically been left out from climate preparedness efforts, people of color, Indigenous peoples, people with lower incomes and people whose lives depend on natural resources have innovative solutions for building resilience to climate change impacts.
The Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative (NCRC), Pacific RISA, and the documentary storytelling organization Tikkun Olam Productions are piloting a groundbreaking method for elevating first-hand experiences and visions of climate resilience and solutions, with the goal of incorporating community knowledge into efforts to prepare for climate impacts. The partners and communities form a transdisciplinary research team that will record the oral histories of communities facing flooding and other climate change impacts. Oral history is a method of documenting first-hand experiences, memories and reflections through in-depth conversation and deep listening. The team will incorporate these stories into climate adaptation efforts, testing the oral history process as a novel method for co-producing science and guiding adaptation. The transdisciplinary team held their first community meeting in Washington in Summer 2024, started working with communities in windward Oahu in Summer 2025, and will plan cross-community projects in the next year.
Stories as Science
Stories as science: Integrating lived experience and community knowledge into actionable adaptation science in Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands regions
Building resilience to climate change requires many diverse areas of expertise, experiences and knowledge. Though they have historically been left out from climate preparedness efforts, people of color, Indigenous peoples, people with lower incomes and people whose lives depend on natural resources have innovative solutions for building resilience to climate change impacts.
The Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative (NCRC), Pacific RISA, and the documentary storytelling organization Tikkun Olam Productions are piloting a groundbreaking method for elevating first-hand experiences and visions of climate resilience and solutions, with the goal of incorporating community knowledge into efforts to prepare for climate impacts. The partners and communities form a transdisciplinary research team that will record the oral histories of communities facing flooding and other climate change impacts. Oral history is a method of documenting first-hand experiences, memories and reflections through in-depth conversation and deep listening. The team will incorporate these stories into climate adaptation efforts, testing the oral history process as a novel method for co-producing science and guiding adaptation. The transdisciplinary team held their first community meeting in Washington in Summer 2024, started working with communities in windward Oahu in Summer 2025, and will plan cross-community projects in the next year.
Read more about the NCRC led project at https://cig.uw.edu/2023/10/ncrc-and-partners-to-pilot-groundbreaking-co-production-method/
Research Team
Dr. Rishi Sugla (University of Washington, Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative)
Dr. Victoria Keener (Arizona State University)
Marielle Olentine (Tikkun Olam Productions)
Partners
UH Center for Oral History
Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative
Tikkun Olam Productions
Our Vision
Pacific Island communities that are resilient to climate impacts and using climate information to manage risks.
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