News & Opportunities
NEWS
Global Center for Blue Climate Solutions - Indonesia Fieldwork
Lisa Hiwasaki and Katelyn Barrett was part of a collaborative research team comprised of faculty, early career researchers and graduate students from several United States academic institutions (URI, East Carolina University, University of the Virgin Islands), as well as Indonesia's University of Papua, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF).
In January 2025, the team organized a "Knowledge Convergence Workshop” and began fieldwork in four coastal communities in Indonesia's Southwest Papua Province. The workshop resulted in a shared vision among the stakeholders on the need for the a future Global Center that would "foster community-centered science that helps all stakeholders make better decisions", while the fieldwork helped the research team to "understand local value and management of mangrove and seagrass ecosystems."
Please read this page to learn more about the workshop and fieldwork
Indigenous Knowledge Is Key to Better Ocean Management
Lisa Hiwasaki co-authored an article published on the World Resources Institute (WRI) website about the importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge in designing ocean management policies.
The article advocates for the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' and traditional communities’ rights in ocean governance, and the need to respect their knowledge plurality to establish equitable partnerships based on trust and care, by situating them at the heart of ocean policymaking.
Please use this link to access and read the complete article
EscSea Program workshops took place in Viet Nam and Indonesia
The Equitable and sustainable development of coastal communities in Southeast Asia (EscSea) research program has held its first stakeholder workshop series in Hanoi, Viet Nam (June 28-29, 2023 in collaboration with VNUA) and Jakarta, Indonesia (Jul 3-4, 2023, in collaboration with BRIN) on the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction for sustainable development.
The two-day workshop sets the ground for the successful implementation of EscSea research and related projects by initiating the engagement of relevant stakeholders, garnering support, and facilitating information exchange in each respective countries.
Our team is presenting our research!
Lisa Hiwasaki presented a paper titled "Vulnerability reduction for climate justice: Towards climate-resilient and equitable development in Southeast Asia" at the International Workshop on Climate-Resilient Development in Southeast Asia on July, 2024
Lisa Hiwasaki presented a paper titled "Prioriser la réduction des vulnérabilités : Action concrète pour une adaptation transformationnelle" at the Adaptation Futures conference in Montréal, Canada on October, 2023
Lisa Hiwasaki presented a paper titled “Vulnerability on the rise? Deconstructing sustainable development in Southeast Asian countries” at the Annual Conference of the International Studies Association in Montréal, Canada on March 17, 2023.
Nara Wisesa presented a poster titled "Integrated Coastal Management Framework - Lessons Learned from Rote Island, Indonesia" at the Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Symposium (APCRS) in Singapore on June 20, 2023.
OPPORTUNITIES
How To Join Us/Collaborate With Us
Prospective students, potential partners and collaborators interested in working with us on these topics and/or would like to join us at the University of Rhode Island’s Dept. of Marine Affairs are welcome to contact us through the contact details provided in Our Profile page.
Undergraduate students are encouraged to visit our page about the International Development Minor Program offered by URI through the Dept. of Marine Affairs.