Dissertation

Cultural pathways to climate action in the Anglophone Caribbean

This research examines cultural pathways as a tool, methodology and framework for advancing climate action in the Anglophone Caribbean through the integration of archaeological, ethnographic, and community-based knowledge.

Author: Richards, A.C.
Date: 11 November 2025
Links: Scholarly Publications repository

By drawing on the region’s archaeological record and Indigenous and local knowledge systems, it explores how long-term adaptation strategies and cultural memory can inform present and future responses to climate change. The research situates cultural heritage as both vulnerable to and a resource for addressing the climate crisis and related climate action, highlighting the need to integrate cultural data into policy, planning, and programming. Anchored in the theoretical lens of socio-ecological systems and human ecodynamics, this research also interrogates the coloniality of disaster and emphasizes heritage as a vehicle for social justice and resilience. Coastal vulnerability assessments, traditional knowledge, and community-driven initiatives illustrate how cultural data can strengthen climate literacy and foster inclusive, people-centred action. Research findings underscore that culture is not peripheral but central to climate action, offering transformative pathways that bridge diverse actors, contested values, and strategic aims in shaping sustainable Caribbean futures.