Experimental participatory methodology brings local pasts to contemporary climate action

Abstract

This paper presents a Danish case study area experiencing cultural and natural environmental changes exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change. It describes and evaluates an experimental methodology that was developed to create and support engagement between the local community and climate action in the case study area. The methodology draws upon approaches and concepts from the research fields of environmental history, community archaeology and socio-hydrology. It is argued that this bespoke community-based, historical socio-hydrology methodology both bridges disciplinary divides and aids transdisciplinary collaboration with non-academic sectors. The methodology’s strengths lie in its use of narratives that are new to the audience, highly localised and concretely anchored in the landscape. This effectively engaged the community in climate communication and climate action within the local area. It is proposed that this methodology can be adapted for other case studies to support technocratic approaches to climate action.