Addressing multidimensional vulnerability to develop, assess and adapt livelihood strategies considering global change in solomon islands
During my studies in Biological (BSc) and Marine (MSc) sciences I found myself increasingly drawn to topics that focus on understanding and addressing human-environment interactions, particularly in the context of global development. This led me to become interested in the concept of ‘vulnerability’ and its applications as an empirical tool to support human livelihoods in the face of global change. My theoretical knowledge of vulnerability developed during my role as a research consultant at WorldFish, where our team applied the concept to the fisheries and aquaculture sector within Myanmar. The framing of this research centred around the practical application of vulnerability assessments as a tool to help reduce poverty, improve food and nutritional security, and enhance environmental sustainability. This framing is where my research focus (and passion) lies.
As my understanding of vulnerability has grown, so has my awareness of its conceptual and empirical limitations. These primarily revolve around a continued lack of integration between the environmental and social sciences, and a failure to address the complex and dynamic aspects of vulnerability (more explicitly, the cross-scale interactions and feedbacks that exist within social-ecological systems across spatial and temporal scales). My research attempts to address these limitations by developing and applying a novel, dynamic and interdisciplinary vulnerability assessment framework; further increasing our ability to understand and alleviate vulnerability within complex environments. During my PhD I will apply the framework within several rural communities in the Western Province of Solomon Islands. The outputs of this assessment will be shared with local stakeholders to provide insight into adaptive activities that can be used to support local livelihoods.
Project Leader PhD Student: Bethany Smith
Supervisory Team: A/Prof Amy Diedrich, Dr Stephanie Duce, Dr Nick Murray
Funding: JCU GRS Scholarship & Fiedlwork Supported in part by ACIAR Fisheries program as part of Integrated Livelihoods Project