Research Report
Jessica A. Nilsson, Stephen G. Sutton and Renae C. Tobin
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook
University
ISBN 9781921359408 (pdf)
ISBN 9781921359392 (pbk)
Published January 2010
MTSRF Project 4.8.5 -
Incorporating stakeholders and their values, knowledge and
aspirations in the care and development of the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park
Introduction
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the world's largest and
healthiest coral reef ecosystem, consisting of a spatially complex
network of over three thousand individual reefs and islands and
extensive inter-reef and lagoon areas covering a total area of over
350,000km2 (Johnson & Marshall, 2007). These natural
values provide important ecosystem services which underpin
approximately AUD$6.9 billion worth of economic activity and
incalculable social values (Johnson & Marshall, 2007). The
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) recognises
climate change as the greatest long-term threat to the
environmental, economic and social values of GBR, with severe
impacts predicted under even moderate climate change scenarios
(GBRMPA, 2007; Johnson & Marshall, 2007). The Australian
Government's
Great Barrier Reef Climate Change Action Plan
(Action Plan) aims to counter the climate change threat by ensuring
that the GBR social-ecological system is resilient to climate
change impacts, and that the rate and extent of climate change is
minimised though reductions in human influences on climate (GBRMPA,
2007).
Engaging stakeholders in GBR climate change reduction and
mitigation strategies is central to both increasing
social-ecological resilience and reducing human impacts on climate,
and is therefore an integral part of the Action Plan. A range
of GBR climate change reduction and mitigation actions can be
undertaken by individuals, including changing their level or
pattern of use of the GBR, undertaking general pro-environmental
behaviours at home or at work (e.g. driving the car less
frequently, recycling, reduced energy use, etc.), and participating
in specific activities or programs designed to respond to the
impacts of climate change on the GBR (e.g. the GBRMPA
BleachWatch program). A major challenge facing the GBRMPA in
meeting the goals of the Action Plan is increasing community
engagement in these and other climate change reduction and
mitigation activities.
Effectively empowering stakeholders to participate in climate
change mitigation and adaptation requires a sound understanding of
the various human dimensions of climate change issues. A recent
review of the climate change social science literature by Lynch and
others (2009), commissioned by the GBRMPA, found that there is a
need for more information about people's values, beliefs, attitudes
and behaviours regarding climate change, its impacts on the Great
Barrier Reef, and community engagement in adaptation and mitigation
strategies. Particular questions of importance identified in the
review included:
- What is the level of awareness of and beliefs about the
consequences of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef?
- How prepared are people to becoming engaged in efforts to
reduce the impacts of climate change on the Great Barrier
Reef?
- What types of reduction or mitigation efforts do individuals
expect, and which efforts will they be most likely to support?
- Do people feel like they have the ability to help deal with the
issue of climate change for the Great Barrier Reef?
- What are the barriers to engaging the community in efforts to
reduce or mitigate the impacts of climate change on the Great
Barrier Reef?
- How do we best communicate with the public about Great Barrier
Reef climate change issues?
- Are there differences in these or other important variables
across various segments of the Great Barrier Reef stakeholder
public?
In this document, we report on the results of a community survey
undertaken to address the priority research questions identified by
Lynch et al. (2009). The goals of this study were to:
- Understand perceived community understanding of climate change
issues and the impacts on the GBR;
- Identify key psychological, sociological and demographic
characteristics amongst community members that can be combined to
produce population segmentation descriptions;
- Identify options for addressing empowerment issues with respect
to reducing climate change impacts on the GBR;
- Identify communication options for different population
segments with respect to climate change issues; and
- Identify critical knowledge gaps relevant to climate change
management actions.
