Climate Stories
noun. stories about climate change
I have produced two collections of stories about climate change and human responses to it - one about climate services provided by NOAA and other meteorological organization in different US Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI); one about adaptation to sea level rise in Hawai'i by federal, state and county governments and non-profits.
When:
2015-Present
Where:
Hawai'i and other Pacific Islands
For:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the State of Hawai'i
Process
For each story collection, I was given a list of story topics and 'local authors', who ranged from county planning directors to fishpond managers. First, I conducted a literature review of existing 'climate story' formats and designed my own story template that relies heavily on quotes from interviewees and the narrative arc. From there, I interviewed these local authors, asking them about the climate impacts they face, the services or adaptation measures they have identified to solve them, and the puka (holes) left to fill in their approach. Then I crafted story drafts, working with local authors to make sure that the story was true to their experience. These stories were then published online, highlighting key messages resonating across stories, so that other climate practitioners can learn from them.
Important Components: Co-authorship
To make sure that the stories that I was writing were true to the experiences of my interviewees, which we called 'local authors' we maintained a rigorous review process in which authors were given ultimate editing power . This was both to retain trust and to fulfill the purpose of the stories - to explain the diverse successes and opportunities experienced in climate services across the Pacific. Listen to Gabriel Kulwaum of Papua New Guinea answer my question, "Is it alright if we share your story online?"
Important Components: Narrative Arc
The goal of these stories were to identify and share the pros and cons of different climate services and climate adaptation efforts - which can be technical and dry information at times. I used the format of a short story - with a catchy beginning, the building of a problem, followed by the solution or reflection. This narrative arc engages more of the audience to absorb the technical bits. Listen to Gabriel tell his engaging account of a king tide in his village.
This is a slide from a presentation I gave at the Pacific Risk Management Ohana (PriMO) Conference in Honolulu in 2015, explaining how i developed the content and format of the stories.
Products
Both sets of stories are available online. The Pacific Islands Climate Storybook was published online at PacificIslandClimate.org, aka 'Piko' (meaning bellybutton in Hawaiian) in Summer of 2015. More information about the stories, including the story template, are available there. The Climate Adaptation Stories are published online on a rolling basis starting in January 2016 at the State of Hawaii's Climate Adaptation Portal (see upper right tab).
Why is this important?
For me:
I advanced my skills in interviewing - particularly in building trust across cultural and physical oceans and leaving room for the interviewee to lead the discussion to the issues at the center of their experience. I foresee this being helpful in need-finding and stakeholder involvement in a variety of projects in the future. Through interviewing local government in Hawai'i, I have gained an understanding of various policy and legislative tools that can be used or reformed to enact change.
For others:
Climate change is an overwhelming force that will have many moving parts to adapt to. These stories, available online, provide an approachable window into responses to climate change in the region. Their engaging narratives, as opposed to technical program reports, allow a more general audience to learn about what works and what doesn't in terms of responding to climate change - and what we can do about it in the future.