For science to advance, methodologies and approaches must evolve to consider the myriad social, economic, environmental, political, and human rights complexities of managing environmental problems, including those created by climate change. Who is “at the table” developing research questions also shapes how we conduct our research, and by including diverse knowledge holders and knowledge systems, we are better able to understand who will and will not benefit from how research is framed. This initial framing of complex global challenges in new, more inclusive ways is critical if we want truly sustainable, equitable, and ethical pathways toward climate solutions.

This talk will discuss the importance of developing specific methodologies or explanatory models before we even start the process of science. Dr. Eduard Ariza Solé will share his perspectives in the context of coastal climate solutions. By integrating different knowledge systems, it will ensure that the dialogue of different parties – stakeholders, rights holders, and knowledge holders – are included in the discussion. This talk not only notes new ways to develop research questions that are more inclusive in addressing complex global challenges, but share case studies of ongoing work to advance more sustainable, ethical, and inclusive management and governance of coastal areas in a time of rapid climate change.

Associate Professor, Geography Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Visiting Scholar, Institute of Arctic Studies, The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth College

Dr. Eduard Ariza Solé is an Associate Professor of Geography at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), and has joined us as a visiting scholar. 

Dr. Solé's research combines Human Geography and Environmental Science in the study of complex socio-ecological systems in coastal zones. His current research interests include drawing from complexity and post-normal science framework to study and inform the governance of the land-sea continuum.