Our Stories Through Our Voices: Inclusivity In Climate Research

Abstract:

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today and will affect every country across the globe. Communities and individuals from developing countries, or the Global South, are slated to be most impacted by climate change but least able to afford its consequences. Conditions and circumstances differ enormously from country to country, in ways that aren’t easy to codify or understand - conditions not just of changes to the natural environment but to economic development, social structures, language and culture.

In many ways, local and indigenous communities, environmental practitioners, and scientists from developing countries have been at the forefront of data collection – providing a local face and context to this global issue. This data collection is done either through observations in their daily lives or through local research, and sometimes in collaboration with Global North colleagues. Yet the perspectives presented to the wider world are those from the Global North. We have long lived in a world where our voices, perspectives and ideas as Global South researchers and experts, are rarely heard, acknowledged or even included in the discourse.

The popular narrative is that combating climatic change will be solved through ideas stemming mainly from the Global North, since developing countries are incapable of action. Yet the Global South are providing as much of their own funding as possible to negate the consequences of climate change given the current limited effort by developed countries. And with this funding, comes experience and lesson learned. Instead of the ‘saviour’ narrative, what we require is a transformative and diverse rethink of how our current infrastructure – everything from energy to food to transportation - will adapt and change through engaging and listening to local researchers and experts who understand the complexities and context on the ground. In reality, climate change is the burden of the Global South and our stories and perspectives must be heard.