A joint SSRP and IDS exhibition
Mobilising science, innovation and partnerships to achieve the global goals for people and planet in times of conflict, crisis and uncertainty
The climate crisis brings about unprecedented levels of uncertainty all around the world. Though we know the effects of climate change will be disastrous and disruptive at all levels, the future trajectories of the climate catastrophe cannot be predicted in all its facets as so many factors and variables are at play.
The climate crisis also brings about competition and conflict around natural resources amongst countries and communities which deepen socio-economic problems or cause environmental degradation such as increased water scarcity, heightened food insecurity, illegal mining or logging. This in turn intensifies and spurs more conflict, resource wars and inequalities, eventually leading to mass migration and displacement while destroying habitats, livelihoods and peace. In fact, countries enduring conflict are disproportionately affected by climate change with people living in fragile circumstances feeling the effects of extreme weather events and resource crises most severely.
The complexity of the challenges at hand and competing tensions and interests become apparent in this small number of exhibited projects which all address the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a more localised level. The Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP), a partnership between the University of Sussex and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), funds and supports projects that minimise trade-offs and maximise synergies between the SDGs, enabling multiple global goals to be accomplished at the same time.
The images displayed here showcase sustainability projects around the globe, undertaken by SSRP researchers and their partners with a particular focus on communities and regions exposed to everyday conflict, crisis and uncertainty. From enhancing extreme weather forecasting for safer fishing; integrating public health and conservation initiatives in threatened rainforests; incorporating creative methods into climate education; to fighting biodiversity loss through Rights of Nature legislation; and supporting sustainability agriculture in conflict zones – all projects shine a light on threats and frictions in different contexts in view of the climate crisis and its impacts. They also give vivid examples of the struggles and efforts being made to find solutions to pave the way towards a more equal and sustainable future.
- Agricultural Voices Syria
Promoting sustainable agriculture in conflict zones
One of the most critical impacts that the Syrian armed conflict had on agriculture was the collapse of extension services for farmers which, before 2011, were provided by the government. ‘Agricultural Voices Syria’ (AVS) aims to address this gap by promoting capacity building and facilitating knowledge transfer of agricultural innovation, practices and technologies from Syrian agricultural experts in Syria and in exile to farmers in Northwest Syria. This has led to a popular podcast and video series, available in both Arabic and English. Using digital infrastructure and conflict communication tools, AVS supports these farmers through innovative media to improve and promote food security, sustainable agriculture best practice and environmental conservation in Northwest Syria.
- Creating with Uncertainty: Covid recovery to educate for sustainable futures
Enabling schools to reflect on their pandemic experiences to reconfigure education in ways that embrace a creative engagement with uncertainty: one that is necessary to acknowledge the existential and uncertain dimensions of the pandemic and climate change, and meet the challenges of achieving net zero.
Modern schooling emphasises certainty, in that teachers instruct students about what is already known about the world, and the task of the student is to identify the correct answer. Such knowledge is important, but alone it is insufficient to meet the challenge of achieving net zero. Climate change and pandemics demand creative, critical and resilient civil societies. Through their project ‘Creating with Uncertainty’, Dr Perpetua Kirby and Dr Rebecca Webb together with their interdisciplinary team have been working with teachers and environmental educators in the UK, India and Ecuador to explore how to support children and young people when grappling with the uncertainties of climate change and broader sustainability challenges.
The project team represents the cutting edge in expertise to support schools to cultivate the capacity to respond where solutions are-as-yet-unknown (core to the SDGs). The proposal builds on existing work in the School of Education and Social Work to enable schools to co-construct locally relevant and deeply engaging sustainability curricula that also acknowledge the existential and uncertain dimensions of the pandemic and climate change, and identify gaps in established knowledge and skills.
- Forecasting with Fishers
Co-producing more reliable and accurate localised weather information together with local scientists and fishers for safer and more sustainable fishing in Kerala, India.
Climate change has made weather patterns on the southwestern coast of India unstable and unpredictable, leading to more accidents at sea, often with casualties. There is clear evidence from the project team's research that artisanal fishers will immensely benefit from a Localised Weather Information Service that will allow them to manage potential risks, and prepare for fishing under hazardous conditions, thus increasing their safety at sea.
- Hope in the present: Uncertain pedagogies for youth and community resilience
Exploring the role of arts-based pedagogies in expressing relationships with sustainability uncertainties amongst young people in Ecuador (lowland forested Chocó region), India (Sundarbans) and the UK (Brighton & Hove).
- Paraecologists for the Rights of Nature
Empowering communities to protect nature and addressing the climate and biodiversity emergencies through Rights of Nature legislation and by applying the so-called ‘paraecologist’ model.
In December 2021 Ecuador’s Constitutional Court set a global legal precedent, supported by Sussex and SSRP research, as the first nation to use ‘Rights of Nature’ (RoN) to protect forests from mining activity. The Court ruled in favour of the threatened Los Cedros Protected Forest, one of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world, against large-scale copper and gold mining. Given the widespread implications of this ruling, a flood of RoN cases within Ecuador and beyond are expected, which rely on ecological evidence and data.
The paraecologist approach engages with and builds capacity of local change agents who play crucial roles in the transition to our harmonious co-existence with and respect for Nature. In 2022, the research team established the not-for-profit start-up ‘Ecoforensic’ to train and empower community-level paraecologists in South America in collecting ‘ecological forensics’ to effectively protect ecosystems under emerging constitutional RoN legislation against industrial development and destructive mining activities.
The complex translation of RoN philosophy into law and practice is beautifully illustrated through artwork by long-term project collaborator and Ecuadorian-based artist Sozapato.
- South Coast sustainability
Managing land to meet the diverse needs of people and nature is challenging as different land uses come into competition creating tension.
Transforming our region by establishing a South Coast sustainability research system, i.e. an interconnected system of living labs, will help to support the transition to sustainable land-use across the South Coast region, an area exposed to competing interest and demands.
Launch event of our joint SSRP-IDS exhibition: 'Sustainability in times of conflict, crisis and uncertainty'
Our audio-visual exhibition featuring SSRP-funded research has moved to the gallery space at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), and is being showcased there between October 2023 and March 2024 under the theme of 'sustainability in times of conflict, crisis and uncertainty'.
The photos here give a glimpse into our opening evening, which took place on 19 October 2023, where visitors had the opportunity to explore sustainability research around the world through art, photography and film' hear from SSRP members as they shared insights into their SSRP-funded projects, wander around the exhibition space at their own leisure and network with others over free drinks.
