Direct Effects Of Climate Change Research Articles

Climate change and income inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): effects and transmission channels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the direct effect of climate change on income inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the channels through which it spreads. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 38 countries, the authors specify and estimate a panel data model using the generalized least squares method over the period 1991–2020. Robustness is achieved through the generalized moment method-system. Findings The results show that an increase in vulnerability to climate change is positively and significantly associated with an increase in income inequality. The results also show that the effects of climate change are mediated by gross domestic product/capita, population and agriculture at the 15%, 17% and 24% thresholds, respectively. Research limitations/implications The authors suggest the implementation of inclusive development policies consistent with climate mitigation and adaptation objectives; the creation of financial spaces from various sources to finance the social security of the most vulnerable; and the strengthening of agricultural resilience to climate-related adverse events, including financing for greenhouse agriculture. Originality/value On the positive side, it contributes to the literature on the analysis of the direct and indirect effects (transmission channels) of climate change on income inequality in SSA. Methodologically, the study goes beyond previous work as it adopts a stepwise methodology, dealing with the endogeneity issue. At the logical level, it offers some non-exhaustive suggestions of potentially interesting economic policies to guide policymakers in their common commitment to “reduce income inequality” (Sustainable Development Goal 10, target 10.1).

Impact of Climate Change on Animal Health and Mitigation Strategies: A Review

Climate change, a global phenomenon of present time, has emerged as the greatest challenge of the world in the twenty-first century. The impact of climate change is multifaceted and affects various aspects of the ecosystems as human, animals and environment. Climate change is one among the major threat for the sustainability of livestock systems. The direct effects of climate change on animal health are mainly due to changes in environmental conditions such as air temperature, relative humility, precipitation, drought, and flood and reflect mainly in the form of heat stress and reproductive problems. Indirect effects lead to infectious, vector borne and parasitic diseases occurrence. The mitigation strategies should focus upon climate resilient breeding and shelter management practices along with sustainable disease surveillance, conservation of natural habitats and society awareness and education.

Climate Change Risks for the Mediterranean Agri-Food Sector: The Case of Greece

The study assesses the direct effects of climate change by 2060, including extreme events, on the productivity of regional crop farming and livestock in Greece, and the broader socio-economic effects on the agri-food and other sectors. Different approaches (i.e., agronomic models, statistical regression models, and equations linking thermal stress to livestock output) were combined to estimate the effects on productivity from changes in the average values of climatic parameters, and subsequently the direct economic effects from this long-term climate change. Recorded damages from extreme events together with climatic thresholds per event and crop were combined to estimate the direct economic effects of these extremes. The broader socio-economic effects were then estimated through input–output analysis. Under average levels of future extreme events, the total direct economic losses for Greek agriculture due to climate change will be significant, from EUR 437 million/year to EUR 1 billion/year. These losses approximately double when indirect effects on other sectors using agricultural products as inputs (e.g., food and beverage, hotels, and restaurants) are considered, and escalate further under a tenfold impact of extreme events. Losses in the GDP and employment are moderate at the national level, but significant in regions where the contribution of agriculture is high.

Human adaptation to heat in the context of climate change: A conceptual framework

Climate change is causing serious damage to natural and social systems, as well as having an impact on human health. Among the direct effects of climate change is the rise in global surface temperatures and the increase in the frequency, duration, intensity and severity of heat waves. In addition, understanding of the adaptation process of the exposed population remains limited, posing a challenge in accurately estimating heat-related morbidity and mortality. In this context, this study seeks to establish a conceptual framework that would make it easier to understand and organise knowledge about human adaptation to heat and the factors that may influence this process. An inductive approach based on grounded theory was used, through the analysis of case studies connecting concepts. The proposed conceptual framework is made up of five components (climate change, vulnerability, health risks of heat, axes of inequality and health outcomes), three heat-adaptation domains (physiological, cultural and political), two levels (individual and social), and the pre-existing before a heat event. The application of this conceptual framework facilitates the assistance of decision-makers in planning and implementing effective adaptation measures. Recognizing the importance of addressing heat adaptation as a health problem that calls for political solutions and social changes. Accordingly, this requires a multidisciplinary approach that would foster the participation and collaboration of multiple actors for the purpose of proposing effective measures to address the health impact of the rise in temperature.

Projections of climate change impacts on ecosystem services and the role of land use adaptation in France

This study examines the complex relationship between climate change and ecosystem services (ESs) in France. We explore both the direct effects of climate change and the indirect effects of land-use change on six regulating ESs (e.g., habitat quality, water retention) and two provisioning ESs (e.g., crop production, livestock production). Results indicate that while climate change may initially have positive impacts on ESs, the induced negative impacts of land-use adaptation often overshadow these benefits. We show the effectiveness of a greenhouse gas (GHG) tax of 200€/tCO2 eq on agriculture in offsetting the negative effects of land-use adaptation to climate change on ESs. This highlights the importance of integrating economic instruments, such as carbon pricing mechanisms, to promote the sustainable management of ESs in the context of climate change.

Climate-limited vegetation change in the conterminous United States of America.

The effects of climate change on vegetation composition and distribution are evident in different ecosystems around the world. Although some climate-derived alterations on vegetation are expected to result in changes in lifeform fractional cover, disentangling the direct effects of climate change from different non-climate factors, such as land-use change, is challenging. By applying "Liebig's law of the minimum" in a geospatial context, we determined the climate-limited potential for tree, shrub, herbaceous, and non-vegetation fractional cover change for the conterminous United States and compared these potential rates to observed change rates for the period 1986 to 2018. We found that 10% of the land area of the conterminous United States appears to have climate limitations on the change in fractional cover, with a high proportion of these sites located in arid and semiarid ecosystems in the Southwest part of the country. The rates of change in lifeform fractional cover for the remaining area of the country are likely limited by non-climate factors such as the disturbance regime, land management, land-use history, soil conditions, and species interactions and adaptations.

Combined effects of drought and simulated pathogen attack on root exudation rates of tomatoes

Background and aimsFood production is threatened by direct climate change effects including drought. Indirect effects, including changes in plant-pathogen dynamics and increased susceptibility to pathogens, further exacerbate the risks. Root exudation, which plays a crucial role in plant defence against drought and pathogens, is influenced by both water stress and pathogens. However, the interactive effects of these abiotic and biotic factors are rarely studied.MethodsWe conducted a controlled environment experiment to investigate the effects of moderate drought and simulated pathogen attack (using pipecolic acid, an inducer of systemic acquired resistance) on the rates of root exudation of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) of four tomato cultivars grown in potting soil.ResultsDrought increased the exudation of TOC and TN per unit of root area, while pipecolic acid did not have any significant effect. Furthermore, there was no interaction observed between the abiotic and biotic factors. However, due to the reduction in plant and root biomass caused by drought, the total exudation per plant remained similar between control and water-limited plants. Additionally, pipecolic acid reduced the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of exudates and increased the total exudation of TN.ConclusionThe increased exudation observed in drought-stressed plants may serve as a strategy to maintain root and rhizosphere activity despite reduced root growth. Notably, the impact of drought differed among the tested cultivars, highlighting their diverse levels of drought tolerance. This emphasises the importance of preserving a wide range of crop cultivars to ensure food security under increasing drought.

Climate justice and territory

AbstractThe territorial impacts of climate change will affect millions. This will happen not only as a direct consequence of climate change, but also because of policies for mitigating it—for example, through the installation of large wind and solar farms, the conservation of land in its role as carbon sink, and the extraction of materials needed for renewable energy technologies. In this article, we offer an overview of the justice‐related issues that these impacts create. The literature on climate justice and territory is vast and spans a range of disciplines, so we limit our discussion to a specific understanding of territory and a specific understanding of injustice that arises from its loss. We understand territory as a normative concept that describes a place under some agent's jurisdiction, where the agent is a politically organized collective and where the jurisdictional rights over that place secure a relevant degree of self‐determination for that collective. Accordingly, we consider that the main injustice connected to the loss of territory due to climate change is the loss or undermining of the ability to exercise the collective right to self‐determination, which requires some control over the place. This can happen if a territorial agent literally loses the ground where to stand as a direct effect of climate change, raising issues of justice in relocation; or if their place changes due to mitigation policies, affecting their use and understanding of territory, raising issues of justice in energy transition. In concluding, we point to topics for future research.This article is categorized under: Climate, Nature, and Ethics > Climate Change and Global Justice Climate, Nature, and Ethics > Climate Change and Human Rights Policy and Governance > Governing Climate Change in Communities, Cities, and Regions

Variable influence of photosynthetic thermal acclimation on future carbon uptake in Australian wooded ecosystems under climate change.

Climate change will impact gross primary productivity (GPP), net primary productivity (NPP), and carbon storage in wooded ecosystems. The extent of change will be influenced by thermal acclimation of photosynthesis-the ability of plants to adjust net photosynthetic rates in response to growth temperatures-yet regional differences in acclimation effects among wooded ecosystems is currently unknown. We examined the effects of changing climate on 17 Australian wooded ecosystems with and without the effects of thermal acclimation of C3 photosynthesis. Ecosystems were drawn from five ecoregions (tropical savanna, tropical forest, Mediterranean woodlands, temperate woodlands, and temperate forests) that span Australia's climatic range. We used the CABLE-POP land surface model adapted with thermal acclimation functions and forced with HadGEM2-ES climate projections from RCP8.5. For each site and ecoregion we examined (a) effects of climate change on GPP, NPP, and live tree carbon storage; and (b) impacts of thermal acclimation of photosynthesis on simulated changes. Between the end of the historical (1976-2005) and projected (2070-2099) periods simulated annual carbon uptake increased in the majority of ecosystems by 26.1%-63.3% for GPP and 15%-61.5% for NPP. Thermal acclimation of photosynthesis further increased GPP and NPP in tropical savannas by 27.2% and 22.4% and by 11% and 10.1% in tropical forests with positive effects concentrated in the wet season (tropical savannas) and the warmer months (tropical forests). We predicted minimal effects of thermal acclimation of photosynthesis on GPP, NPP, and carbon storage in Mediterranean woodlands, temperate woodlands, and temperate forests. Overall, positive effects were strongly enhanced by increasing CO2 concentrations under RCP8.5. We conclude that the direct effects of climate change will enhance carbon uptake and storage in Australian wooded ecosystems (likely due to CO2 enrichment) and that benefits of thermal acclimation of photosynthesis will be restricted to tropical ecoregions.

Climate and human impact together drive changes in ecosystem multifunctionality in the drylands of China

China's drylands encompass an area of approximately 6.60 × 106 km2 and are home to around 580 million people, providing crucial ecosystem services. The escalating impacts of global climate change are expected to exacerbate aridity, thereby adversely affecting ecosystem services and human well–being. Hence, there is a crucial need to prioritize the study of ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) in drylands and investigate the underlying factors driving EMF changes. We collected field sampling and indoor analysis data, as well as raster level sampling data to obtain indices related to soil nutrients, vegetation, human footprint index (HFI), soil biodiversity index (SBI), and climate (mean annual temperature [MAT], mean annual precipitation [MAP], potential evapotranspiration [PET]), and soil characteristics (soil sand content [Sand], soil moisture [SM], soil pH). EMF was calculated using the averaging approach, and the cluster–multi–threshold approach. We employed the mantel test, mixed–effects model, random forest algorithm, piecewise structural equation model, and variation partition analysis to explore the significance of factors on EMF changes. The findings revealed significant correlations between EMF and all factors except pH and Sand. All factors collectively accounted for 52.7 %–57.4 % of the variation in mono– (the effect on each of the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus functions separately) and multifunctionality. The combined effects of all factors had the greatest contribution (8.1 %–16.3 %) variation in EMF. HFI consistently emerged as the most important factor in controlling EMF variation and proved to be the most significant predictor of EMF changes. All factors examined were significant predictors of EMF change. Our study demonstrated that HFI played the most direct influence on EMF changes, surpassing the impact of any single variable. However, the overall contribution of climate (integrating MAP, MAT, and PET) to EMF change was also extremely important. Therefore, future assessments and predictions of ecological functions in drylands should consider not only the direct effects of climate change but also the integrated analysis of human impact.

Mitigating the effects of climate change on human health with vaccines and vaccinations.

Climate change represents an unprecedented threat to humanity and will be the ultimate challenge of the 21st century. As a public health consequence, the World Health Organization estimates an additional 250,000 deaths annually by 2030, with resource-poor countries being predominantly affected. Although climate change's direct and indirect consequences on human health are manifold and far from fully explored, a growing body of evidence demonstrates its potential to exacerbate the frequency and spread of transmissible infectious diseases. Effective, high-impact mitigation measures are critical in combating this global crisis. While vaccines and vaccination are among the most cost-effective public health interventions, they have yet to be established as a major strategy in climate change-related health effect mitigation. In this narrative review, we synthesize the available evidence on the effect of climate change on vaccine-preventable diseases. This review examines the direct effect of climate change on water-related diseases such as cholera and other enteropathogens, helminthic infections and leptospirosis. It also explores the effects of rising temperatures on vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya, and malaria, as well as the impact of temperature and humidity on airborne diseases like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infection. Recent advances in global vaccine development facilitate the use of vaccines and vaccination as a mitigation strategy in the agenda against climate change consequences. A focused evaluation of vaccine research and development, funding, and distribution related to climate change is required.

Sky Islands Are a Global Tool for Predicting the Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Climate Change

Sky islands are unique geologic formations, home to populations of organisms that have weathered climate change since the Pleistocene. Long-term isolation and climatic differences between sky islands and adjacent mountain chains result in natural laboratories well suited for examining the direct effects of climate change. Here, we review the global sky island literature to examine how taxa have responded to climate change. Results show lineage formation, reduced genetic variation, and trait evolution across taxa driven by genetic drift and natural selection. These effects continue today due to ongoing habitat reduction and steep selective gradients on sky islands relative to mountain chains. Comparative studies and experimental manipulations are needed to build broad inference into how past climate change has shaped the structure and function of whole ecosystems. The next era of sky island research is poised to create a model for climate change responses and eco-evolutionary dynamics, with profound conservation implications.

Natural revegetation has dominated annual runoff reduction since the Grain for Green Program began in the Jing River Basin, Northwest China

The Grain for Green Program (GFGP) has successfully increased the vegetation cover in northern China over the last two decades through large-scale natural and artificial revegetation approaches. Unfortunately, an obvious runoff reduction has been observed in many basins, especially on the semiarid Loess Plateau. Past studies generally attributed this runoff reduction to the artificial revegetation of the GFGP, i.e., the land cover type change from cropland to forest, since there was no significant annual precipitation decrease. Such cognition has led to widespread concern about the hydrological effects of the GFGP. In fact, in addition to artificial revegetation, natural revegetation relies on natural processes of vegetation succession without land cover type changes directed by humans. Therefore, it is necessary to separate and quantify the contributions of natural and artificial revegetation to runoff reduction to assess the GFGP and optimize revegetation in the future. In this study, the contributions of natural and artificial revegetation to annual runoff change after the implementation of the GFGP were quantified in fifteen subbasins of the Jing River Basin in the central Loess Plateau. The mean annual runoff of the Jing River Basin decreased by 11.8 mm after the GFGP, although the climate (precipitation and potential evapotranspiration) inversely increased the mean annual runoff by 6.6 mm. This is due to that the direct effect of climate change was much less than the ecohydrological effect of revegetation on runoff reduction, i.e., the revegetation caused the mean annual runoff reduction of 18.4 mm. Natural revegetation (50.5% of basin area) was the dominant reason for runoff reduction rather than artificial revegetation (9% of basin area). The natural revegetated area with vegetation quality improvement, i.e., an NDVI increase without land cover type change, contributed to a runoff reduction of 15.5 mm, accounting for 131.1% of the total runoff reduction after the GFGP, and the grassland of natural revegetation was the main vegetation type, with runoff reductions of 9.8 mm. However, artificial revegetation by area increase and quality improvement, i.e., NDVI increase, contributed to a runoff reduction of 8.4 mm, accounting for 49.6% of the total runoff reduction. These results demonstrated that the GFGP needs to be properly adjusted, i.e., natural revegetated areas should be opened in a timely manner and properly utilized, and improving vegetation quality improvement rather than increasing vegetation area would be a priority management measure in artificial revegetated areas.

A global meta-analysis of soil organic carbon in the Anthropocene

Anthropogenic activities profoundly impact soil organic carbon (SOC), affecting its contribution to ecosystem services such as climate regulation. Here, we conducted a thorough review of the impacts of land-use change, land management, and climate change on SOC. Using second-order meta-analysis, we synthesized findings from 230 first-order meta-analyses comprising over 25,000 primary studies. We show that (i) land conversion for crop production leads to high SOC loss, that can be partially restored through land management practices, particularly by introducing trees and incorporating exogenous carbon in the form of biochar or organic amendments, (ii) land management practices that are implemented in forests generally result in depletion of SOC, and (iii) indirect effects of climate change, such as through wildfires, have a greater impact on SOC than direct climate change effects (e.g., from rising temperatures). The findings of our study provide strong evidence to assist decision-makers in safeguarding SOC stocks and promoting land management practices for SOC restoration. Furthermore, they serve as a crucial research roadmap, identifying areas that require attention to fill the knowledge gaps concerning the factors driving changes in SOC.

Dynamic spatiotemporal modeling of a habitat‐defining plant species to support wildlife management at regional scales

AbstractSagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems provide critical habitat for the Greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern. Thus, future loss of sagebrush habitat because of land use change and global climate change is of concern. Here, we use a dynamic additive spatiotemporal model to estimate the effects of climate on sagebrush cover dynamics at 32 sage‐grouse management (core) areas in Wyoming. We use the fitted models to quantify the sensitivity of each management area to precipitation and temperature, and to make probabilistic projections of sagebrush cover from present to 2100 under three climate change scenarios. Global circulation models predict an increase in temperature and no change in precipitation for Wyoming. Sensitivity to climate varied among management areas, but the most common response (70% of management areas) was a positive effect of temperature on sagebrush performance. The combination of positive sensitivity to temperature and the predicted increase in temperature under all climate change scenarios resulted in projections of increased sagebrush cover for most management areas. We characterized management areas as “optimal” or “suboptimal” based on the percentage of grid cells in each management area with sagebrush cover exceeding a nesting habitat target value. Only 18% of management areas are projected to switch from being currently optimal to suboptimal in the future. Thirty‐five percent of management areas are projected to switch from being suboptimal to optimal. The most common outcome (47%) was for currently suboptimal management areas to remain suboptimal, even though average cover tended to increase in those areas. The direct effects of climate change appear to favor sagebrush performance in the future for most sage‐grouse core areas in Wyoming. Our approach is broadly applicable to quantitative climate change assessments where remotely sensed estimates of habitat‐defining vegetation are available.

Effects of combined drought and pathogen stress on growth, resistance, and gene expression in young Norway spruce trees.

Drought-induced mortality is a major direct effect of climate change on tree health, but drought may also affect trees indirectly by altering their susceptibility to pathogens. Here we report how a combination of mild or severe drought and pathogen infection affected growth, pathogen resistance, and gene expression in potted 5-year-old Norway spruce trees (Picea abies). After 5weeks of drought, trees were inoculated with the fungal pathogen Endoconidiophora polonica. Combined drought-pathogen stress over the next 8weeks led to significant reductions in growth of drought-treated trees relative to well-watered trees, and more so in trees subjected to severe drought. Belowground, growth of the smallest fine roots was most affected. Aboveground, shoot diameter change was most sensitive to the combined stress, followed by shoot length growth and twig biomass. Both drought-related and some resistance-related genes were upregulated in bark samples collected after five weeks of drought (but before pathogen infection), and gene expression levels scaled with the intensity of drought stress. Trees subjected to severe drought were much more susceptible to pathogen infection than well-watered trees or trees subjected to mild drought. Overall, our results show that mild drought stress may increase tree resistance to pathogen infection by upregulating resistance-related genes. Severe drought stress, on the other hand, decreased tree resistance. Because drought episodes are expected to become more frequent with climate change, combined effects of drought and pathogen stress should be studied in more detail to understand how these stressors interactively influence tree susceptibility to pests and pathogens.

Vegetation carbon input moderates the effects of climate change on topsoil organic carbon in China

Climate change affects soil organic carbon (SOC) and contributes to the uncertainty of terrestrial carbon sinks in the global carbon budget. The response of SOC to climate change and its associated control processes are still not well understood at the national level due to limited surface monitoring and control experiments. With changes in vegetation growth and the regulation of its carbon input, the feedback of topsoil SOC to climate change is likely to become more complex at broad geographical scales. Here, on the basis of the long-term satellite remote sensing data from 2000 to 2019, multiple linear regression and pathway analyses were applied to the raster scale to investigate the importance of vegetation carbon input relative to climate change impacts on topsoil SOC in China and quantify the direct effects of climate change on topsoil SOC and the indirect effects through vegetation net primary productivity (NPP). The results show that the overall trend of increase in topsoil SOC in China from 2000 to 2019 is significant (P < 0.05), and most regions show a good development trend in the future, except for some areas in the Central South, East, and Northeast regions, where a risk of degradation exists. Relative to climate change, the dominant areas of NPP impact on topsoil SOC in China occupy a considerable proportion, especially in the North, Northwest, and Central South regions, with area proportions of 68.15 %, 49.52 %, and 47.99 %, respectively. The indirect positive impacts of climate change on changes in topsoil SOC in China through vegetation carbon input offset the direct negative impacts in most areas. These results have important implications for enhanced prediction of future SOC changes and provide references for terrestrial carbon sinks management strategies in the context of response to climate change.

‘I don't really associate climate change with actual people's health’: a qualitative study in England of perceptions of climate change and its impacts on health

ObjectivesThe health impacts of climate change are increasing, but qualitative evidence on people's perceptions is limited. This qualitative study investigated people's perceptions of climate change and its impacts on health. Study designThis was an online study using semistructured interviews. MethodsA total of 41 semistructured interviews were conducted in 2021 with members of the public aged ≥15 years living in England, recruited via community-based groups. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. ResultsParticipants were concerned about climate change, which was often perceived as extreme weather events happening elsewhere. Changes in the UK's seasons and weather patterns were noted, but participants were uncertain whether these changes resulted from climate change. Participants often struggled to identify health impacts of climate change; where health impacts were described, they tended to be linked to extreme weather events outside the United Kingdom and their associated threats to life. The mental health impacts of such events were also noted. ConclusionsThe study found that most participants did not perceive climate change to be affecting people's health in England. This raises questions about whether framing climate change as a health issue, an approach advocated for countries less exposed to the direct effects of climate change, will increase its salience for the British public.

How is Bangladesh Growing More Susceptible to Infectious Disease Epidemics as a Result of Climate Change? A Systematic Review

Bangladesh is facing unpredictable weather patterns, as well as a consistent rise in temperature and precipitation. Climate change has had a negative impact on physical and mental health, leading to an increase mostly in the prevalence and variation of infectious diseases, as well as psychological issues such as depression and anxiety disorders. Given the country's inherent sensitivity to climatic influences, the climate-health nexus is a relatively unexplored subject of research. The purpose of this article is to investigate the severity of climate change in Bangladesh and how it impacts the health of the public. Morbidity and mortality due to heat stress, cyclones, floods, droughts, and other weather extremes at various spatiotemporal scales have been observed as direct effects of climate change in Bangladesh. The indirect effects involve more complicated paths, such as affecting food and water security due to salinity intrusion and the development of infectious diseases because of shifts in vector and pathogen ecology. To mitigate the effects of climate change on various infectious diseases, healthcare and response systems must be strengthened. By implementing proactive adaptation methods, we may significantly and actively contribute to preventing and regulating the negative consequences of climate change on human health. There is little evidence to make sound health policy decisions in the context of climate change, and there is a lack of multidisciplinary research activities. Despite these constraints, gathering and reporting scientific information is essential for developing a resilient health system in climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh and other low-income regions.

Cultural considerations related to climate change and transition on the University of Otago - Ōtepoti campus

Internationally, Indigenous communities have been some of the first to encounter the direct effects of climate change due to their relationship with the environment and its resources. Climate change can exacerbate political and economic marginalisation, loss of resources, social contexts and livelihoods. However, Iwi-Māori have been responding to the impacts of climate change and climate transition in creative ways, drawing on mātauranga Māori and hundreds of years of environmental experience and practice to devise solutions to tackle current and impending changes. Risk to Māori culture, heritage and social structures has been identified as major or extreme in the national climate change risk assessment. Therefore, using the University of Otago Otepoti campus as a case study, our research has explored some of the cultural imperatives and risks associated with climate change and transition. In our work, we have identified and mapped some of the key physical cultural features, local pūrakau, and aspirations for recognisable Indigenous futures on campus with a view to encouraging the integration of cultural considerations when reporting our climate transition endeavours.&#x0D; As a result of this research, it is clear that the University would benefit from commissioning a detailed cultural narrative for the Ōtepoti site from mana whenua, which will help with developing actions such as the appropriate reintroduction of native flora and fauna corridors throughout the campus and the telling of local pūrakau throughout. In addition, the University would benefit from an enhanced bicultural partnership approach to leadership that could nurture the potential for the University environment to function as a sustainable Tiriti-based community.&#x0D; Supervised by: Professor Michelle Thompson-Fawcett, Geography Department, Univeristy of OtagoScholarship co-funded by: Sustainability Office/Geography Department