Storying Climate Change

India

Perceptions of a Changing Climate, Exposure and Vulnerability 

Related Publications

“Storying Climate Change in Himachal Pradesh” (Aylin Padir, Ingrid Shockey, Seth Tuler).
Practicing Anthropology – Journal of the Society of Applied Anthropology, Special Edition on Storying Climate Change, forthcoming.

 

Himachal Pradesh

This project characterized perceptions of exposure and vulnerability to climate change among lifelong residents of Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh. We examined local climate data and interviewed rural and urban residents to identify and map perceived exposures and vulnerabilities to climate change. Residents reported shorter winters and decreased precipitation and attributed these changes to human activity. Most residents expressed willingness to make personal lifestyle changes to address climate change. We also determined that the villages’ vulnerability to climate change is primarily due to lack of income opportunities outside of subsistence agriculture.

Faculty Advisors: Ingrid K. Shockey, Seth Tuler

Student Researchers: Aylin Lorraine Padir, Troy Peyton Bergeron

Himachal Pradesh

Climate change research has focused on scientific data as the driving force in building awareness of climate change. Less has been done to collect climate data from the perspectives of ordinary people. Ethnographic approaches enable citizen science participation in climate change research. We conducted and recorded semi-structured interviews and collected stories of lifelong residents in Himachal Pradesh to assess the perspectives of climate change. These findings communicate subtle perspectives on the experience and indicators of climate change through the stories.

Faculty Advisors: Ingrid K. Shockey, Gbetonmasse Blaise Somasse

Student Researchers: Brant William Reymann, David Santamaria, Emma J. Edwardson, Kevin Buffe Baptista

Stories of Climate Change in Himachal Pradesh

Related Publications

The group also produced a series of focus profile pieces through their Instagram, messagesfrommandi, that detail the complex experiences of the people they encountered while abroad in India.

Related Links

The Climate Stories Project

Climate Stories Project gives a voice to the emotional and personal impacts that climate change is having on our lives and to the positive actions we are taking in response. Often, we discuss climate change only from the impersonal perspective of science or the contentious realm of politics. Today, though, more and more of us are feeling the effects of climate change on a personal and community level. Climate Stories Project allows people from around the world to share their stories and to engage with climate change in a direct way.

 

Story Group

Based in Boulder, Colorado, The Story Group produces compelling multimedia journalism. Founders Ted Wood and Daniel Glick each have more than 25 years of experience in print and electronic media. We work in partnership with top videographers and editors to produce stories for broadcast, print and Internet outlets. We specialize in finding compelling ways to present the issues of our day to a wide variety of audiences through multimedia storytelling and new media. Our combined experience in environmental journalism and new media productions helps us — and our clients — to get stories out like never before.

I See Change

ISeeChange is a global community that posts about what they notice changing in the environment using our platform and mobile tools. Each post is synced with weather and climate data and broadcast to the community to investigate bigger picture climate trends. Over time, community members can track how climate is changing, season to season, year to year, and understand the impacts on daily life.