Framing climate change in frontline communities: anthropological insights on how mountain dwellers in the USA, Peru, and Italy adapt to glacier retreat
We report on anthropological research conducted in three mountain communities (in the USA, Italy and Peru), which have been directly affected by glacier retreat for over 40years. Our mixed methods include ethnographic research, analysis of transcripts of interviews, focus groups and community meetings, and case studies of adaptation projects. Our findings indicate that local people are acute observers of change. They draw on two frames (climate change and community) in their discussions and projects but rely much more heavily on the latter frame. This pattern of drawing on the community frame, characteristic of all discussions, is most marked in the community meetings. The effectiveness of the community frame in supporting projects calls into question some widely shared notions about the role of belief in climate change as a crucial precondition for adaptation and challenges the perceive-predict-act model of climate change response.
1.Columbia Univ, Ctr Res Environm Decis, New York, NY 10027 USA 2.Columbia Univ, Sch Int & Publ Affairs, New York, NY 10027 USA 3.Columbia Univ, Dept Psychol, New York, NY 10027 USA 4.Tech Univ Munich, TUM Sch Management, D-80333 Munich, Germany 5.Univ Arizona, Sch Nat Resources & Environm, Tucson, AZ 85721 USA 6.Univ Georgia, Ctr Integrat Conservat Res, Athens, GA 30602 USA 7.Univ Zurich, Dept Geog, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland 8.Bern Univ Appl Sci, Sch Agr Forest & Food Sci, CH-3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
Recommended Citation:
Orlove, Ben,Which, Kerry,Zaval, Lisa,et al. Framing climate change in frontline communities: anthropological insights on how mountain dwellers in the USA, Peru, and Italy adapt to glacier retreat[J]. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE,2019-01-01,19(5):1295-1309