Inside/Outside Narratives of Vulnerability to Climate Change

Knowledges about vulnerability to climate change are conveyed through narratives. Local or ‘inside’ narratives about vulnerability to climate change often differ from those ‘external’ narratives that flow from climate impacts research. Narratives are contested not simply because they imply different policy responses, but also because they ascribe identities to people and places. The politics of vulnerability can therefore be productively understood as the politics of identity. This seminar explores competing narratives about climate change in Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia, which is an ostensibly flood-prone town with a population of 4,742 that is disadvantaged relative to most settlements in Victoria. It explains the dominant external narrative about the town’s vulnerability to sea level rise by analysing climate science reporting, policy documents and media reporting. It will then explain local narratives of climate change vulnerability by drawing on data from interviews and focus groups with Lakes Entrance residents. Two quite contrasting narratives about climate change vulnerability emerge, with different implications for adaptation decisions.