What is it about?
This study explores how Atlantic Canadian communities use local and Indigenous knowledge to adapt to climate change. It finds that this knowledge is vital, but communities need long-term funding and decision-making power to turn their insights into action.
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Photo by Jan Walter Luigi on Unsplash
Why is it important?
While the value of local and Indigenous knowledge is widely recognized, this study is among the first to examine how it actually translates into formal climate planning in Atlantic Canada—a region facing severe, immediate climate risks. We move beyond simply showing that local knowledge matters by pinpointing the institutional, funding, and governance mechanisms that enable or block its use. By revealing how short-term, rigid funding models marginalize rural and grassroots communities, this study provides practical pathways for policymakers, funders, and municipalities to share decision-making power and build more effective, place-based climate resilience.
Perspectives
What struck me most throughout this research was the sheer dedication and ingenuity of community organizers, municipal staff, and local leaders on the front lines across Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Time and again, I saw that the barrier to resilient climate action isn’t a lack of community knowledge or passion—it is the rigid, bureaucratic systems they are forced to navigate. Listening to their experiences was deeply humbling, and I hope this work amplifies their voices, validates their frustrations, and helps spark real, systemic changes in how adaptation programs and funding are delivered.
Edmund Yirenkyi
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Place-based climate adaptation: How Atlantic Canadian communities translate local knowledge into action, PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, October 2026, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000291.
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