Matching Items (24)
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- All Subjects: Sustainability
- Creators: Eakin, Hallie
Description
Perceptions of climate variability and change reflect local concerns and the actual impacts of climate phenomena on people's lives. Perceptions are the bases of people's decisions to act, and they determine what adaptive measures will be taken. But perceptions of climate may not always be aligned with scientific observations because they are influenced by socio-economic and ecological variables. To find sustainability solutions to climate-change challenges, researchers and policy makers need to understand people's perceptions so that they can account for likely responses. Being able to anticipate responses will increase decision-makers' capacities to create policies that support effective adaptation strategies. I analyzed Mexican maize farmers' perceptions of drought variability as a proxy for their perceptions of climate variability and change. I identified the factors that contribute to the perception of changing drought frequency among farmers in the states of Chiapas, Mexico, and Sinaloa. I conducted Chi-square tests and Logit regression analyses using data from a survey of 1092 maize-producing households in the three states. Results showed that indigenous identity, receipt of credits or loans, and maize-type planted were the variables that most strongly influenced perceptions of drought frequency. The results suggest that climate-adaptation policy will need to consider the social and institutional contexts of farmers' decision-making, as well as the agronomic options for smallholders in each state.
ContributorsRodríguez, Natalia (Author) / Eakin, Hallie (Thesis advisor) / Muneepeerakul, Rachata (Thesis advisor) / Manuel-Navarrete, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
For a country like India which is highly vulnerable to climate change, the need to focus on adaptation in tandem with traditional development is immense, as the two are inextricably tied together. As a prominent actor working at the intersection of these two fields, NGOs need to be prepared for the emerging challenges of climate change. While research indicates that investments in learning can be beneficial for this purpose, there are limited studies looking into organizational learning within NGOs working on climate change adaptation. This study uses a multiple case study design to explore learning mechanisms, and trace learning over time within four development NGOs working on climate change adaptation in India. These insights could be useful for development NGOs looking to enhance their learning to meet the challenges of climate change. More broadly, this research adds to the understanding of the role of learning in climate change adaptation.
ContributorsNautiyal, Snigdha (Author) / Klinsky, Sonja (Thesis advisor) / Eakin, Hallie (Committee member) / Wang, Lili (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Farmer-Managed Irrigation Systems (FMIS) are community managed and operated irrigation systems, celebrated for their successful governance of water resources for many decades and in several countries. Nevertheless, in the face of climatic, political, and social change, their future is uncertain. This dissertation utilizes household adaptive capacity, socio-ecological system (SES) robustness, and the Institutional Analysis and Development framework to structure a multi-scalar and multi-stressor analysis of changes experienced in Nepal’s FMIS. The dissertation documents irrigators’ perception of environmental change, impacts, and response; diagnoses the multiple disturbances impacting the robustness of the FMIS; and analyzes changes in the FMIS as an institution over time, in an effort to understand the major drivers of SES change. Fifteen FMIS from five districts of Nepal were selected for the study. Data were collected through field observations, household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. The status of the existing rules was compared with the data collected three decades ago in the Nepal Irrigation Institutions and Systems database. This study finds that FMIS’s robustness is threatened by uncertain water supply, inefficient infrastructure, scarcity of farm labor, weakening collective action, and natural disasters. Farm households, whose actions are necessary to sustain the management of FMIS, perceive environmental change differently according to their ecological region and position along the irrigation canal, leading to different adaptation strategies. Despite livelihood diversification, irrigators rely primarily on irrigation infrastructure management to respond to the impacts of environmental change. Institutional analysis demonstrates the evolution of FMIS in terms of working rules in the face of multiple stressors. In this study, payoff, information, and position rules have exhibited the most substantive change. However, boundary, choice, aggregation, and scope rules are less likely to change. The findings of this work point to the need for geographically differentiated adaptation support policies, and a need for closer attention to the dynamics of labor, environmental change, and institutional persistence in agriculture and irrigation sectors. FMIS being an exemplary institutional arrangement for the study of a SES, the research findings benefit similar institutions globally facing challenges to the sustainable governance of common pool resources.
ContributorsParajuli, Jagadish (Author) / Eakin, Hallie (Thesis advisor) / Chhetri, Netra (Thesis advisor) / Anderies, Marty (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Historically, young people have spearheaded environmental movements, demanding equitable involvement in decision-making processes that impact their future. Despite their active participation, barriers such as inadequate knowledge, lack of empowerment, and diminished hope often hinder meaningful engagement and impact. This study addresses these challenges by implementing a series of educational workshops designed to equip youth with the necessary tools to effectively influence climate policy and urban planning so that they can feel more hopeful about the future in the face of climate change. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, this research evaluates how different methods of arts-based educational engagement impact workshop participants' knowledge, empowerment, and optimism regarding their ability to inspire environmental change. The findings aim to contribute to the discourse on effective youth engagement in environmental justice, advocating for strategies that equip youth with the tools they need to foster sustainable community development and hope for the future.
ContributorsKarthikeyan, Amritha (Author) / Eakin, Hallie (Thesis director) / Pfeiffer, Deirdre (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05