About

CuHeMo

Project Overview:

The impacts of climate change can be detrimental to the livelihoods of indigenous communities residing in different places across the world. As noted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2023: 17), cultural losses – both tangible and intangible – threaten adaptive capacity, especially for Indigenous Peoples reliant on the environment for subsistence. At the same time, indigenous cultural heritage plays a role in adapting to climate risk and is central to rethinking human-nature relations that govern dominant approaches to addressing and understanding climate change adaptation (Chao and Enari 2021).
In CuHeMo we aim to examine the role that cultural heritage plays in climate change adaptation, drawing from climate sciences, social sciences, and indigenous ways of knowing. We do so with a focus on indigenous groups whose livelihoods have historically been mobile, specifically pastoralists and fishery communities in Thailand, Ethiopia and Senegal.

This Project is funded under the umbrella of the Belmont Forum and the national funding agencies of the Netherlands (NOW), Austria (FFG), and Thailand (NRCT):

Project Overview:

CuHeMo (Cultural Heritage in Motion: Indigenous Knowledge and Mobile Livelihoods in Changing Climates) investigates how indigenous cultural heritage contributes to climate change adaptation. Focusing on mobile communities such as pastoralists and coastal fishermen groups in Thailand, Ethiopia, and Senegal, this project explores the intersection of climate change, mobility, and cultural heritage. By integrating insights from climate sciences, social sciences, and indigenous knowledge holders, CuHeMo aims to fill critical gaps in understanding the role of culture in adapting to environmental change.

Our central questions explore how cultural heritage and practices supports resilience against climate risks and how contemporary sustainability interventions may impact the mobility and cultural practices of indigenous communities. Through comparative explorations, CuHeMo offers a novel, transdisciplinary approach to reimagining climate adaptation strategies in diverse geographical and socio-cultural contexts.​

Research Focus and Themes:

The CuHeMo project focuses on three central themes:

  1. The impact of climate change on cultural heritage,
  2. the role of indigenous knowledge in climate adaptation,
  3. and the development of sustainable solutions that respect mobile livelihoods.

By examining indigenous communities in Thailand, Ethiopia, and Senegal, the project highlights how historically mobile groups—such as pastoralists and fishers—use cultural practices to navigate climate risks.

CuHeMo’s transdisciplinary approach bridges climate science, social sciences, and indigenous epistemologies to offer innovative insights. These themes contribute to broader academic and practical debates on how cultural heritage can inform policy and resilience-building efforts, particularly in the context of global climate change adaptation.

Goals and Impact:

The CuHeMo project aims to deepen our understanding of how indigenous cultural heritage can shape effective climate adaptation strategies. By exploring the adaptive practices of mobile communities in Thailand, Ethiopia, and Senegal, our research will generate insights that inform policy, enrich academic and public debates, and support the resilience of indigenous groups facing climate and environmental challenges.

The project’s outcomes will include policy briefs, community engagement, and participatory knowledge-sharing methods, ensuring that its findings contribute to both local and global climate adaptation frameworks. Furthermore, artistic expressions created by and in collaboration with indigenous communities will be showcased alongside scientific findings to highlight the cultural dimensions of climate adaptation. These visual and narrative contributions will be featured in a web feature, designed to engage the public and policymakers by bridging the gap between scientific data and lived cultural experiences, fostering broader understanding and action on climate resilience.

Methods and Approach:

The CuHeMo project employs a transdisciplinary and participatory approach to research, combining climate science, social science, and indigenous knowledge systems. Methodologies include multi-sited fieldwork, narrative interviews, participatory workshops, and cognitive mapping with indigenous communities. Climate data, gathered from satellites and reanalysis models, will be integrated with insights from indigenous knowledge holders through community-led discussions.

What makes CuHeMo unique is its strong focus on participatory methods, ensuring indigenous communities are co-creators in the research process. By blending scientific analysis with lived cultural experiences, the project offers an innovative way to understand the role of cultural heritage in climate adaptation across different geographical and climate contexts.

Our Project Partners: