As scientists in the post-normal age, we no longer simply do research, but are expected to act as catalysts for change. We are often required to support the integration of multiple knowledge cultures, and enable stakeholders to learn and act collectively to promote resilience or transformation. Collective responses are necessary to address the roots of complex ‘wicked’ problems and find potential solutions, requiring participatory research and planning processes which can simultaneously bridge stakeholders’ world views, encourage cross-scale partnerships and innovation, and generate social learning and collective action. However, this presents fundamental challenges for scientists. Often we have to facilitate multi-stakeholder processes and act as objective knowledge brokers, but also have to manage and integrate our own disciplinary paradigms and value systems. The power dynamics of different knowledge systems can influence process and outcomes, and in cross-cultural situations, concepts can be lost in translation. Furthermore, we need to learn ourselves by evaluating the impact of such processes on knowledge integration, learning and collective action, but this is difficult to address methodologically, and learning may be constrained by structured thinking and institutionalised barriers. The Torres Strait Islands on Australia’s northern border are undergoing rapid change from the global to local scale, creating new pressures for the remote island communities. I present an approach and some findings during the past three years from a project funded by the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) called “Building Resilient Communities for Torres Strait Futures”. I reflect on challenges we’ve encountered as scientists facilitating ‘resilience thinking’ in the field, and our learning about how to more effectively design, implement and evaluate knowledge co-production processes.

1. Building resilience of what, for whom?: Navigating the challenges of
participatory adaptation research in the Torres Strait
ATSIP Seminar • Townsville • 23 September 2014
Erin Bohensky, James Butler, Yiheyis Maru, Sara Busillachi – CSIRO Land and Water
Tim Skewes – CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Cass Hunter – James Cook University
Vic McGrath, John Rainbird – Torres Strait Regional Authority
Fraser Nai – Torres Strait Island Regional Council

2. http://www.survivalinternational.org/thereyougo

3. CSIRO Environment & Development Team
•Supporting decision-making in developing regions of Australian strategic interest
•Cross-site comparison of empirical data and methods

4. Towards complexity thinking in R4D
• Shove (2010): beyond the
‘ABC’ (attitude-behaviour-choice)
– governments too
have a hand in structuring
options and possibilities
• Shift from tool-centred to
process-centred
approaches with ‘change
agents’

5. resilience
[ri-zil-yuh ns, -zil-ee-uh ns]
Noun
1.the power or ability to return to the original form,
position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or
stretched; elasticity.
2.ability to recover readily from illness, depression,
adversity, or the like; buoyancy.
Definition: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/resilience

6. Social-ecological system resilience
Resilience - the capacity of a
system to absorb disturbance
and reorganize while
undergoing change so as to
still retain essentially the
same function, structure,
identity, and feedbacks
(The Resilience Alliance
website glossary at
www.resalliance.org/)

7. Resilience “out there”

8. Photo: http://candychang.com/resilient/

9. Participatory research: Resilience thinking for what, for whom?

10. Resilience thinking for what, for whom?
• (Implicit) goal to broaden mental models and effect cognitive,
behavioural, and policy change through a participatory,
deliberative process
• Integrating knowledge cultures of multiple stakeholders
• Scientists need to be aware of our own ‘knowledge cultures’ when
we are initiating or facilitating change processes
• Thus a need for “research fields that study the process of research
itself” in multi-stakeholder contexts (Fazey et al. 2014)

11. Questions to consider
• What processes and methods are being used to catalyse and
operationalise resilience thinking?
• Are they actually working, and how do we know?
• What roles do we as scientists play? How do we assess these
roles?
Illustration: Oren Ginzburg

12. Comparative study sites: livelihoods and change
Nusa Tenggara
Barat (NTB)
West New Britain
(WNB)
Torres Strait

13. Torres Strait Islands,
Northern Australia

14. Torres Strait Islands
• 150 islands, 15 permanently inhabited (pop = 7000)
• Pre-contact Melanesian culture subsumed by European
colonization and Australian government and law
• Cultural and economic significance of marine environment
• Growing motivation to regain sovereignty over resources and
restore ‘Ailan Kastom’
• Evolution of co-management of commercial fisheries - knowledge
integration for research and monitoring
Butler, J. R. A., A. Tawake, T. Skewes, L. Tawake, and V. McGrath. 2012.
Integrating traditional ecological knowledge and fisheries management in the
Torres Strait, Australia: the catalytic role of turtles and dugong as cultural
keystone species. Ecology and Society 17(4): 34.

15. Rapidly undergoing
change from:
• Climate change
• Peak oil
• Population change
• Resources boom
• Disease and biosecurity
• Migration
• International markets
Fishermen declare war on Cape
York sea pirates, backed by
Chinese crime gangs, who are
plundering Great Barrier Reef
•by: Peter Michael
•From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
•1 day ago January 05, 2014 1:00AM

16. Human Development Index
Low
High
Norway (1) 0.943
Torres Strait (73) 0.729^
Australia (2) 0.929
Afghanistan (172) 0.398
DR Congo (187) 0.286
Western Province PNG (188) 0.260*
Human Development Report, 2011. *McGillivray, M. 2012. http://www.deakin.edu.au/news/2012/23042012PNGMarkIndexresults.php
^ Estimated using ABS 2006 & 2011 census data

17. Proactive participatory planning - applied
research questions
1. What are possible future changes in the
Torres Strait?
2. How will they affect communities and their
livelihoods?
3. Which communities are most likely to be
impacted by changes?
4. What is their capacity to adapt? How
resilient are they?
5. What are the priority ‘no regrets’ strategies
that will enhance communities’ capacity to
adapt?

18. Theoretical foundations
• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Outputs
Outcomes
Impacts
Adaptive co-management
Community stakeholders
Torres Strait
stakeholders
Drivers of change
• Population
• Economy
• Climate change
Rural communities and
livelihoods
Ecosystem goods and
services
• Agriculture
• Fisheries
• Freshwater
Biodiversity and ecosystems
• Terrestrial
• Freshwater
• Marine
Adaptation strategies
Government
stakeholders
Participatory scenario planning
Cross-scale integration
• Well-being
• Adaptive capacity

19. Theoretical foundations
• Sustainable Livelihoods Framework
But no consideration of scientist as an agent

20. Integration of knowledge cultures
Individual
Local
Specialised
Strategic
Integrated
Adapted from Brown (2005)
Knowledge hierarchy
Networked knowledge
cultures
Knowledge cultures
Collective action

21. 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
Torres Strait
scenario
planning
Community scenario planning
Climate projection downscaling
Ecosystem services modelling and livelihoods typology
Resilience assessment
Comparison and
evaluation of adaptation
strategies
Adaptive co-management evaluation
8 km projections
Ecosystem services impact model
Livelihoods typology
Case studies
Adaptation strategies
Adaptation strategies
Resilience assessment
Ecosystem services impact model
Drivers of change Resilience assessment
Resilience assessment
Drivers of change
Drivers of change
2014-15
Activities and Timetable

22. Partners & Stakeholders
Federal, State, Regional
Government & Industry
Communities
• Torres Strait Regional Authority
• Torres Strait Regional Island Council
• Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
• Department of Environment
• Australian Fisheries Management Authority

23. Scenario workshop process
Adaptive capacity &
resilience
TS LIVELIHOODS
VISION
DRIVERS OF
CHANGE
TS LIVELIHOODS
2012 2060 2090
‘Best Case’
Scenario
Scenario
Scenario
‘Business as
Usual’ Scenario
2030
+
-
Impact on
livelihoods
Threshold

24. Elders’ timeline of the past

25. Identifying & ranking drivers of change
1. Culture
2. Socio-economic & political
environment (cost of living,
housing, governance)

26. Defining visions for the future

27. Green Growth global economy
+1.50C by 2090
No change wet season rainfall
Controlled PNG population growth
Regulated PNG development
Green Asian economic growth
Carbon intensive global economy
+2.50C by 2090
-3% rainfall p.a. by 2090
PNG population growth
Uncontrolled PNG development
1.3 m sea level rise by 2090
Rapid Asian economic growth
Strong TS culture
Stable population
Ailan Kastom
Local resource control and
management
Strong leadership
Political support and funding
Weak TS culture
Emigration
Loss of language
No local control
Fractured and weak leadership
Less political support and
funding
3 “Best Case”
1 “Business as Usual” 4
2
Scenarios matrix:
two axes,
four pathways for the
future

28. Scenario development

29. Regional scenarios
3 “Best Case”
4
2
Carbon intensive global economy
+2.50C by 2090
-3% rainfall p.a. by 2090
PNG population growth
Uncontrolled PNG development
1.3 m sea level rise by 2090
Rapid Asian economic growth
Strong TS culture
Stable population
Ailan Kastom
Local resource control and
management
Strong leadership
Political support and funding
3 ‘Best Case’ Hope Island
2 Doug’s World
4 Torres Strait Territory
1 ‘Business as Usual’
Northern Exposure
Regional scenarios
Green Growth glob al economy
+1.50C by 2090
No change wet season rainfall
Controlled PNG population growth
Regulated PNG development
Green Asian economic growth
Weak TS culture
Emigration
Loss of language
No local control
Fractured and weak leadership
Less political support and
funding

30. Community scenarios

31. Resilience assessment
• Community scoring of indicators
• Expert elicitation – causal loop modelling

32. Adaptation strategies

33. Integration workshop

34. ‘No regrets’ adaptation strategies for Masig
Torres Strait Region stakeholders
1. Marine resource conservation
2. Promote tourism and sponge aquaculture
3. Climate-change proof terrestrial EGS against sea level rise
1. Cultural renewal strategy
2. Build community financial management capacity, including eco-tourism
3. Improve Masig Turtle and Dugong Management Plan to control the over-harvest of green
turtles
4. Improve garden food production, including hydroponics
5. Meetings to improve community communication
6. More coordination among central islands, which face same issues
Masig Community stakeholders

35. Researchers
PROCESS
Data and
systems tools
Change agents Beneficiaries
Adaptive capacity of the system
Participatory
planning
Policy and program
development
Implementation, adoption
and scaling-out
1
2
3
4
6
5
8
9
7
10
11
12
13 14 15 17
18 19
20
21 22
23
24 25
26
27
29
30
31 32
33
34
35
36
37
39
38
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Participatory
modelling tools
and training
Vulnerability
Atlas, NTB
Food Security
Strategies
WFP
Adaptation
Fund project
Adaptation
strategy
implementation
in case studies
UNRAM
Adaptation
Research
Centre not
established
Some
strategies
included in NTB
Regional
Development
Plan
Theory of Change and Impact Pathway
PROJECT
Capacity building

36. Evaluation survey
• What effect did participatory process have on participant
perceptions of the future, and thinking about resilience?
• What kinds of information and knowledge did participants
respond to?
1. Perceptions of challenges
2. Perceptions of resilience
3. Impact of workshop information

37. Participants’ perceptions of challenges
Participant responses to the survey question “What is the greatest problem for
livelihoods on Masig?” before (left; n=12) and after (right; n=17) Integration Workshop.
Responses were coded and similar responses were grouped into themes (i.e. “the
rising of the sea” was grouped with the theme “climate change”).
Before workshop (n=12) After workshop (n=17)

38. What does community “resilience” mean to you?
“the ability to 'bounce back' to a functional state (may or may
not be the same state as previously)”
“ability of a community to preserve cultural protocols and
remain viable in today's environment”
“a community that meets its own needs without impacting on
the capacity of future generations to meet their needs”
Participants’ perceptions of resilience

39. Why or why not?
Don’t know: “communities have endured for many generations but current
and future threats may be more rapid - not sure of capacity to adapt - but
there is will to adapt”
Why?: “an adaptable people”
“all human cultures adapt”
Why Not?: “unsure of how to become resilient
and do not have the necessary resources”
“lack of knowledge of consequences of
change”
Participants’ perceptions of resilience

40. Expected Outcomes
1. Provision of information to
communities and regional
stakeholders to inform adaptation
decisions
2. Identification of alternative
livelihoods and ‘no regrets’ strategies
3. Increased capacity for communities
and stakeholders to adapt and avoid
mal-adaptive strategies
4. Support the development of Torres
Strait community adaptation and
resilience planning

41. Participatory adaptation research: tensions &
paradoxes
• Robust research or livelihood impacts? (Fazey et al. 2014)
• Transformation or empowerment?
• Science as framing partner, not distant deterministic authority:
scientists to provide facts, lay out options for policy actors to
debate (Melissa Leach at Resilience 2014 Conference)

42. Bridging knowledge cultures: tensions &
paradoxes
• Knowledge brokers and “intercultural bridgers” important in multi-stakeholder
integration processes (Bohensky and Maru 2011)
• But need to consider representational roles these “community
champions” play: who and what is excluded, whose resilience, whose
sustainability?

43. Scientists as catalysts
• Are we contributing to positive change?
• How do we know?
• Do we really want to know?
• Implications for responsibility
• Mutual trust (time, sensitivity, adaptability)

44. Dr. Erin Bohensky
Senior Research Scientist
Adaptive Social and Economic Systems
CSIRO LAND AND WATER
Townsville
erin.bohensky@csiro.au
Thanks to the many participants in this
project, and especially the Masig, Erub and
Mabuiag communities
“Building Resilient Communities for Torres Strait Futures”
is funded by the National Environmental Research
Program and CSIRO’s Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship