Collaborative Sustainability Science: An Example from Barbuda

Barbuda, West Indies is a semi-arid, small island developing state that has rich history of resilience and sustainability despite the socio-economic and environmental challenges people living there have faced. However, now... [ view full abstract ]

Barbuda, West Indies is a semi-arid, small island developing state that has rich history of resilience and sustainability despite the socio-economic and environmental challenges people living there have faced. However, now Barbudans are largely reliant on food, water and other necessities while archaeological remains are degrading and the environment is being impacted by climate change (e.g., sea level rise, changing hurricane and drought patterns, coastal erosion). To overcome the lack of government sponsored environmental monitoring and cultural preservation efforts, an interdisciplinary team of archaeologists, anthropologists, and geoscientists are working closely with US undergraduate and graduate students, along with Barbudan experts and high school students to document cultural remains and assess the state of environmental resources on the island. This collaboration is made possible through an NGO, the Barbuda Research Complex. Our research approach integrates traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) with western science to take a long-term perspective and assessment of the present situation. Methods used for data collection are varied and include kite and unmanned flight air photography, GPS mapping, water and soil testing, surveys and focus group discussions. Of particular interest is the involvement of and impacts on youth who comprise about half of the population. Barbudan youth work closely with university faculty, US undergraduate and graduate students, and Barbudan experts. Citizen science is being incorporated into the high school curricula; this makes learning more relevant, fosters intergenerational learning, empowers youth with valuable technical and critical thinking skills, and promotes cultural identity. Together, this collaboration is building a robust dataset while enhancing the capacity of people to address the challenges being brought about by climate change.