Transcript The Bergrivier Interdisciplinary Climate Change

The Bergrivier Climate
Knowledge Network
Kirsty Nortje
African Climate and Development Initiative, University of
Cape Town.
WRC Dialogue
13 November 2015
“ The ACDI is a university-wide initiative at the University of Cape Town
that supports collaborative research and training in climate change and
development”
The “Project”
• Practical objectives
Build a inter/transdisciplinary (ID/TD) knowledge
network
Bring diverse “academics” and “practitioners”
together to help advance understanding of climate
& development issues in Bergrivier municipal area
Develop projects that enhance appropriate
climate change responses and resilience in the
Bergrivier municipal area
The Project
• “Academic” objectives
– Enhance interdisciplinary collaboration across UCT
– Explore the advantages, disadvantages of an
interdisciplinary approach to CC
– Support UCT “research-into-practice” agenda
– Develop interesting, problem-oriented research
projects
– Cutting-edge publications
The Project Group
Holle – Renewable
Jen – Cape Nature
Hilary – Community
Lesley –
Energy, UCT
– Literary
Worker, Autrora Hedley
Anthropology, UCT
Julien – Farmer,
Sherwin
––Engineer,
Jan
Environmental
Scholar,
UCT
Tracey
–
Strategic
Hopetown
Ralph – Business
Tania – Planner, UCT
Timm – Ecologist,
PPC
Lawyer, UCT
Sustainability, UCT GSB Manager, BR Municipality
UCT
Penny – Climate CC
Support Programme,
WCG
Walking in Each
Others Shoes
Who, What, How?
Learning Journeys
Climate
Development
“Is climate change really a
priority here? It’s like putting
a plaster on someone who
needs a wheelchair!”
“What good is the wheelchair if
the wheel will come off – that’s
what climate change might do!”
Local / Practice
Global / Theory
“This theory is all well and good, but
what are the impacts for people on
the ground?”
“What about this work can we
publish, and where?”
6
Outcomes
• An ID/TD Collective- a knowledge and personal
network
• Evidence and learning about ID/TD
• MSc & PhD Projects in an ID/TD holding space
– A study of an integrated management initiative to improve the Berg River,
Western Cape, South Africa
– Using complex system thinking for managing natural resources in the
Groot Winterhoek Strategic Water Source Area in South Africa
– The application of the Nexus framework in the Bergrivier Municipality: a
potential tool for the enabling coordination at the local municipal scale
– Mapping the governance landscape related to ecosystem-based
adaptation in the Bergrivier Municipality.
Outcomes
• An ID/TD Collective- A knowledge and personal
network
• Evidence and learning about ID/TD
• MSc & PhD Projects in an ID/TD holding space
• Funded research projects
– Climate change risk assessment & adaptation strategy
– FEWBL Nexus at catchment scale
– Complementary Currency to foster local resilience and
wellbeing
Emerging Lessons
• Trans-disciplinary processes are likely to
benefit from:
– A clear convening “problem”
– Careful facilitation
– Surfacing and making creative use of thematic /
epistemological tensions
– Investment in supporting the process
Challenges
• Uncomfortable space
• Difference between inter/transdisciplinarity
and collaboration
• Prioritisation
• Practicalities
• Funding
Thank you!