Connecting

The Connecting theme connects people, ecosystems and climate change-related problems at multiple levels and across space and time. This theme draws on different knowledge systems, research disciplines, academic and practical skills, and cultural traditions.  

The Connecting theme explores the changing cultural, economic and spiritual relationships between coastal communities and the marine environment, and how these connections contribute to long-term well-being. This theme engages in that space where knowledge, people and place intersect; a multidimensional space that spans time and place.  

In the wake of the climate crisis, accelerated change in the marine environment poses an imminent threat to the wellbeing of coastal communities who depend on the important interaction and connection to their marine environments. In New Zealand and across the Pacific, coastal communities interact with coastal ecosystems through the lens of diverse knowledge systems and differing cultural traditions and practices. Importantly, connectivity seeks purposeful action arising from the juxtaposition of intellectual, cultural and ideological diversity.