The 4-Site Pacific Transect Collaborative (4-Site)

Abstract

The vastness of the Pacific Ocean, and the geographic isolation of its island nations, sets the stage for critical disconnects between the drivers and causes of climate change and their local impacts in Pacific Island communities. Pacific Islands, as elsewhere, face persistent local crises at the nexus of natural and human systems that have altered the way we interact with our environments, raising challenging questions about how to sustain the well-being of our communities, and their associated coral reef ecosystems. These ecosystems and communities that rely on them are “canaries in the coal mine” for climate change and biodiversity loss. At the same time, the scientific, technological, indigenous, and social knowledge systems that could contribute to sustainable futures are often siloed in disciplinary as well as political contexts. It is in this arena that the 4-Site Pacific Transect Collaborative seeks to work. The big question we ask is, “What knowledge infrastructure is needed to equitably and democratically support Pacific Islands societies in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and promote the resilience of coral reef social-ecological systems”?