11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
[AHW24-10] LINKAGE project: Adaptive governance of multiple resources based on land-sea linkages of the water cycle at coral reef islands
Keywords:water resources, land-sea linkage, biocultural diversity, adaptive governance
The LINKAGE project just launched at RIHN with transdiciplinalitive team members. The project aims to contribute to the realization of a resilient natural symbiotic relationship between society and coral reef island systems in the tropical and subtropical Western Pacific, in which people can respond to climate change and socioeconomic changes while sustainably using the limited resources of the islands, such as water, fishery, and forest resources.
Islands with rich coral reefs are widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics. Water is very precious on coral reef islands, and inhabitants have used the limited water resources, such as groundwater and spring water, carefully and creatively since ancient times. While water is essential for daily life, it also circulates while changing form and functions to connect the land and the sea. On islands, the scale of the water cycle connecting the land and sea is small, and the coral reef ecosystem that nurtures marine resources is closely connected to the land through this water cycle. Such coral reef island systems have nurtured a diversity of organisms and cultures unique to the region.
In recent years, however, land use and socioeconomic changes have led to the depletion of water resources and deterioration of water quality on the islands, resulting in the deterioration of coral reef ecosystems via the water cycle. Furthermore, changes in precipitation patterns, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and rising sea temperatures due to climate change contribute to this deterioration of conditions. For inhabitants of coral reef islands to sustainably use the limited natural resources, including highly vulnerable water resources, fishery resources, and forest resources, it is necessary to strengthen adaptive governance and the response to both climate change and socio-economic changes.
The LINKAGE project focus on Ryukyu islands (Japan), Wakatobi (Indonesia), and Palau islands, and composed of four units: Natural System, Governance, Community Capability, and Knowledges Bridging Units. The project aims are as follows: 1) to understand and predict changes in multiple resources in response to climate change and socio-economic change by clarifying the connection between the land and sea via the water cycle using stable isotopes, environmental geochemical tracers, and environmental metagenomic analyses, 2) to clarify the linkage and biocultural diversity by the historical and ecological approach and to elucidate the factors contributing to the maintenance of livelihoods in island communities with limited resources, 3) to clarify the transition and multilayered nature of individual attitudes and institutions that connect local and global governance through behavioral science and multi-level institutional analyses, and 4) to evaluate adaptive governance, which bridges scientific and traditional ecological knowledge and attempts to create new values by integrating these sources of knowledge. These results are expected to contribute to the realization of a resilient natural symbiotic society able to cope with climate change and socioeconomic changes in coral reef island systems.
Islands with rich coral reefs are widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics. Water is very precious on coral reef islands, and inhabitants have used the limited water resources, such as groundwater and spring water, carefully and creatively since ancient times. While water is essential for daily life, it also circulates while changing form and functions to connect the land and the sea. On islands, the scale of the water cycle connecting the land and sea is small, and the coral reef ecosystem that nurtures marine resources is closely connected to the land through this water cycle. Such coral reef island systems have nurtured a diversity of organisms and cultures unique to the region.
In recent years, however, land use and socioeconomic changes have led to the depletion of water resources and deterioration of water quality on the islands, resulting in the deterioration of coral reef ecosystems via the water cycle. Furthermore, changes in precipitation patterns, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and rising sea temperatures due to climate change contribute to this deterioration of conditions. For inhabitants of coral reef islands to sustainably use the limited natural resources, including highly vulnerable water resources, fishery resources, and forest resources, it is necessary to strengthen adaptive governance and the response to both climate change and socio-economic changes.
The LINKAGE project focus on Ryukyu islands (Japan), Wakatobi (Indonesia), and Palau islands, and composed of four units: Natural System, Governance, Community Capability, and Knowledges Bridging Units. The project aims are as follows: 1) to understand and predict changes in multiple resources in response to climate change and socio-economic change by clarifying the connection between the land and sea via the water cycle using stable isotopes, environmental geochemical tracers, and environmental metagenomic analyses, 2) to clarify the linkage and biocultural diversity by the historical and ecological approach and to elucidate the factors contributing to the maintenance of livelihoods in island communities with limited resources, 3) to clarify the transition and multilayered nature of individual attitudes and institutions that connect local and global governance through behavioral science and multi-level institutional analyses, and 4) to evaluate adaptive governance, which bridges scientific and traditional ecological knowledge and attempts to create new values by integrating these sources of knowledge. These results are expected to contribute to the realization of a resilient natural symbiotic society able to cope with climate change and socioeconomic changes in coral reef island systems.