Climate Justice and Participatory Research: Building Climate-Resilient Commons

Climate catastrophe throws into stark relief the extreme, life-threatening inequalities that affect millions of lives worldwide. The poorest and most marginalized, who are least responsible for the consumption and emissions that create climate change, are the first and hardest impacted, and the least able to protect themselves. Climate justice is simultaneously a movement, an academic field, an organizing principle, and a political demand. Building climate justice is a matter of life and death.

Climate Justice and Participatory Research offers ideas and inspiration for climate justice through the creation of research, knowledge, and livelihood commons and community-based climate resilience. It brings together articulations of the what, why, and how of climate justice through the voices of energetic and motivated scholar-activists who are building alliances across Latin America, Africa, and Canada. Exemplifying socio-ecological transformation through equitable public engagement, these scholars, climate activists, community educators, and teachers come together to share their stories of participatory research and collective action.

Grounded in experience and processes that are currently underway, Climate Justice and Participatory Research explores the value of common assets, collective action, environmental protection, and equitable partnerships between local community experts and academic allies. It demonstrates the negative effects of climate-related actions that run roughshod over local communities’ interests and wellbeing, and acknowledges the myriad challenges of participatory research. This is a work committed to the practical work of transforming socio-economies from situations of vulnerability to collective wellbeing.

Patricia E. Perkins is a feminist ecological economist and professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University in Toronto, Canada. She is the editor of Water and Climate Change in Africa: Challenges and Community Initiatives and Local Activism for Global Climate Justice: The Great Lakes Watershed.


With Contributions By: Guy Donald Abassombe, Ferrial Adam, Joaquin Almonacid, Francisco Araos, Ayansina Ayanlade, Oluwatoyin Seun Ayanlade, Adefunke F. O. Ayinde, Camila Bañales-Seguel, Petra Benye, Francisco Brañas, Natacha Bruna, Daniela Campolina, Kátia Carolino, Marcondes G. Coelho Junior, Daniela Collao, Jamie Cursach, Eliane M. R. Da Silva, Lara Da Silva, Eduardo C. Da Silva Neto, Florencia Diestre, Ronaldo Dos Santos, Vadel Eneckdem Tsopgni, Mary Galvin, Lussandra Martins Gianasi, Allan Yu Iwama, Margaret O. Jegede, Chrislain Eric Kenfack, Carla Lanyon, Manuel Lemus, José Molina-Hueichán, Boaventura Monjane, Andries Motau, Patience Mukuyu, Aico Nogueira, David Núñez, Moses O. Olawole, Adewale M. Olayiwola, Abimbola Oluwaranti, Claudio Oyarzún, Marcos G. Pereira, Patricia E. Perkins, Emerson Ramos, Wladimir Riquelme, Daniella Ruiz, Ramin Soleymani-Fard, Marcos Sorrentino, Mesmin Tchindjang, Francisco Ther, Adrien Tofighi-Niaki, Ana P.D. Turetta, Darlys Vargas, Patricia Figureido Walker, Lemlem F. Weldemariam, Kathryn Wells, and Gonzalo Zamorano