On 14 September 2021, the Island(er)s at the Helm program hosted its first Kingdom-wide event with societal partners and other stakeholders. This meeting is the start of a five-year collaboration that brings together researchers and societal partners to use technical, traditional, and contemporary knowledge practices to study climate change adaptation. Working closely together, the Island(er)s at the Helm program will co-create sustainable and inclusive solutions for social adaptation to climate challenges in the (Dutch) Caribbean.

In this event, participating organizations and researchers exchanged ideas for collaboration within the Island(er)s at the Helm research program. The thirty participants emphasized the importance of considering traditional architectural practices, the impact of climate catastrophes on mental health and the role of children and community engagement in research design.

Strengthening the Dutch Caribbean knowledge infrastructure

The online stakeholder meeting was introduced by program chair Dr. Francio Guadeloupe, who described the goals of the research collaboration: “We are not researching the islanders, but researching with the islanders. The outcome of the project is a strengthening of the Dutch Caribbean knowledge infrastructure. For this reason, we tried as much as possible to hire people with a Dutch Caribbean background. We hope that our intensive collaborations lead to community development initiatives and social cohesion between government organizations, NGO’s and the rest of civil society, to deepen the awareness of the importance of adaptation in relation to climate challenges.”