Indigenous knowledge for climate change
The AUT-led Nature-based Urban design for Wellbeing and Adaptation in Oceania (NUWAO) project has released a series of podcasts discussing the development of nature-based urban design solutions in Aotearoa and beyond.
Hosted by Maija Stephens and Mercia Abbott, each episode features informative kōrero with people doing important mahi in their fields of expertise, that respond to the changing climate with nature-based solutions rooted in local indigenous knowledges.
Interviewees across the 10 episodes include AUT’s Professor Albert Refiti (School of Art & Design) and School of Future Environments Associate Professors Amanda Yates and Fleur Palmer, and lecturer Sibyl Bloomfield.
The NUWAO project, which is funded through a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Grant, aims to develop nature-based urban design solutions, rooted in Indigenous knowledges, that support climate change adaptation and individual and community wellbeing in different contexts across Aotearoa and Oceania.
Project lead, Associate Professor Maibritt Pedersen Zari of Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau, Auckland University of Technology, says she'd like the podcasts to help spread knowledge held by those doing work related to climate change adaptation, systems change, and Indigenous knowledge and practice in Oceania far and wide.
“The hope is that these podcasts will inform, inspire and call people to action,” she says.
To listen, head to the NUWAO website, nuwao.org.nz, or follow the sessions on Spotify
Episodes
1. Introduction to the NUWAO podcasts
Welcome to the official podcast of NUWAO (Nature-based Urban design for Wellbeing and Adaptation in Oceania). Hosted by Maija Stephens and Mercia Abbott, in this introductory episode we cover who we are, what we stand for and what’s to come. Stick around with us as we share kōrero with awesome people doing important mahi in their fields of expertise, all working towards today’s climate issues and how we can respond with nature-based solutions together with local cultural identities.
2. Albert Refiti
Join us in conversation with Professor Albert Refiti, a research leader in the field of Pacific spatial and architectural environment at Auckland University of Technology. Refiti speaks on his upbringing, influences and the process of decolonising and indigenising knowledge.
3. Suli Vunibola
Suli Vunibola shares his journey revitalising ancestral knowledge on his Fijian home soil and speaks on themes of indigenous innovation and resilience.
4. Māia-te-oho Holman-Wharehoka
Māia-te-oho takes us through the process of her Masters project, in creating her own pūrākau to address the health of Waiwhetū stream.
5. Vaimu’a Muliava
Vaimu’a Muliava (member of New Caledonia Government in charge of innovation, and digital transition) emphasises the importance of respecting women as an integral part of respecting and caring for the land and ocean.
6. Amanda Yates
Associate Professor at Huri Te Ao Hoahoanga – School of Future Environments, Auckland University of Technology Amanda Yates (Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Rongowhakaata) works with local councils, iwi and communities exploring place-based, indigenous-led strategies and actions for urban transformation in an era of climate and biodiversity emergency. We speak with Amanda about her practice and the changes that need to occur in our system.
7. James Renwick
We speak with Professor James Renwick, School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. He is a researcher with broad knowledge of climate change, studying the weather and climate of Aotearoa and the Pacific. He is also an author on the last three IPCC Assessment reports. Renwick speaks on the urgency of change and how he deals with climate anxiety.
8. Willy Missack
Willy Missack is a Doctorate Student at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. He is advisor to the Vanuatu Climate Action Network secretariat working with the community-based organisation (CBO). He is also Vanuatu’s Negotiator on Loss and Damage and Founder & Executive Director of Learn to Serve Vanuatu, a youth-led CBO. We speak to him about his upbringing and how he aims to uplift communities to have agency over how they manage climate adaptation back home in Vanuatu.
9. Sibyl Bloomfield
Sibyl Bloomfield (Waikato Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto & Ngai Te Rangi) is a Landscape Architect and Senior Lecturer at Huri Te Ao Hoahoanga – School of Future Environments, Auckland University of Technology. We speak with Sibyl about her practice, her values and experience as a lecturer, as well as the complexities that surround using indigenous knowledge systems toward climate adaptation plans.
10. Fleur Palmer
Associate Professor Fleur Palmer (Te Rarawa/Te Aupōuri/Ngāti Awa o Tāmaki Makaurau) at Huri Te Ao Hoahoanga – School of Future Environments, Auckland University of Technology speaks on housing issues in Aotearoa and how her architectural practice and research is aiding in shifting the way the system operates. We discuss Māori identity, Pākehā and Māori worldviews, and inherent connections to the environment.