Contribution short abstract:

Humanity has lived for a long time relaying local ecological knowledge (LEK); today's rigid blanket regulations are very recent. We need the courage and trust in local inhabitants to be adaptable and flexible again through the LEK to overcome current and future crises.

Contribution long abstract:

Globalization has created unprecedented pressure to consume even more environmental resources. Because the changes were so fast and big, restrictions were first imposed locally, within the country, and later also globally. Regardless of restrictions, environmental conditions are getting progressively worse and species are disappearing. So, are these strict uniform regulations still the solution?

Uniform regulations do not have specific local characteristics; they apply, for example, in the same way throughout the country. Laws do not take into account regional specificities. For instance, in Estonia, some protected plant species are pretty common in Western Estonia, which are absent or very few in other parts of Estonia. Upon discovering some protected birds, strict conservation rules are immediately established based on existing knowledge of biology, without considering that birds also adapt and find new habitats near people.

However, it is instinctive for a person who lives with the rhythm of nature to keep plants, birds and wild animals. This wealth of species would not have been preserved to this day if people had not taken care of the species next to us in the past. Therefore, this local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been with us all along and has helped us. To avoid over-regulation in nature conservation today, it is rather necessary to introduce flexibility, adaptability and adaptability offered by LEK into nature conservation.

Contribution short abstract:

The being in nature loads us with emotions and feelings. Changes in the environment lead to the loss of the familiar surroundings, and as a result, people's feelings and emotions towards their surroundings also change. If the root causes are known, it is better to address them as well.

Contribution long abstract:

We live in an era where environmental changes are already noticeable within one human generation - about 30 years. If we consider that today's elderly may live up to 100 years, there are people around us who remember the time up to three human generations ago. Thus, we can conditionally see in the society three groups based on the time of their active youth: the youngest remember the 1990s; the middle-aged in the 1960s and the oldest in the 1930s.

Our input is based on long-term ethnobotanical and ethnoecological fieldwork. People notice both global and local changes and if asked for solutions, both general and specific recommendations are given. However, among the most common answers given to us on why environmental changes take place, all the most noticed changes are inter-generational. Yet, each of those generation has its own memories of the environment, and the emotions received from the natural environment of childhood accompany them throughout their lives. The intergenerational differences come in exactly on the level of emotions and feelings which the environment in which they grew up provoked in them. This emotional attraction may affect how different generations perceive environmental crises.

Based on our field experience we can suggest that some local (environmental) changes could be directed and softened if the decision-makers communicated better with the residents who are affected by these decisions. For that there is a need to improve communication between different generations, because they perceive the same environment with different emotionality.

Contribution short abstract:

A Hobbesian ‘state of nature’ governs the historic mines of Patkai foothills marked by the presence of the ‘absence of state’ where accusations of violating a biodiversity hotspot is counteracted by upgrading the remaining stretches of India’s only lowland evergreen rainforest to a ‘paper park’.

Contribution long abstract:

When B.C. Allen penned the gazetteer of Lakhimpur a seemingly nondescript district nestled in the then colonial province of Assam in British India’s North Eastern region, he mentioned the presence of damp and dreadful tropical rainforests in the south eastern corner of the province’s Brahmaputra valley in the foothills of the Patkai mountain range that acts as the international boundary between India and Myanmar. The location of these very forests would later see the creation of the first resource frontier for the region as the wilderness made way for the setting up of oil rigs, coal mines and tea plantations which I have termed as the ‘Patkai rainforest frontier’. As the settlements of indigenous tribal communities amidst these forests became the ‘workscapes’ of British industrial capital, the historical mines of Patkai were set up around the newly created town of Margherita which prided itself as the ‘coal queen’. The first colliery which started in 1882 at nearby Ledo would eventually be followed by seven others which saw the use of advanced technologies of extraction. Post independence as the colonial era infrastructure laid in ruins at the turn of the 21st century, an aggressive and chaotic rush now takes over the mining landscape in a Hobbesian ‘state of nature’ where the presence of the ‘absence of state’ and the accusations of violating a biodiversity hotspot is counteracted by upgrading the last stretches of India’s last lowland evergreen rainforest to a ‘paper park’ whereby the production of nature is governed purely by the logic of capital accumulation.

Contribution short abstract:

SOUNDING THE LIMESTONE EXPLORATION: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS ON THE RESIDENTS OF EWEKORO, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Contribution long abstract:

My name is Oyinlola Esther OLADIIPO, I hold a B.Arts Honours degree in Music from

the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Currently, my research revolves around the topic mentioned above. In essence, I am utilizing music as a powerful medium to shed light on the

alarming environmental pollution caused by limestone exploration in the Ewekoro

region. The significance of my research lies in its ability to transcend traditional boundaries

and connect with diverse audiences. By using music as a conduit, I aim to evoke a

sensory experience, making the environmental issues in Ewekoro palpable to a broader

audience. Through sound and art, my research seeks to provoke not only an intellectual

understanding but also an emotional response to the environmental challenges faced

by urban communities. In the context of the "Melting Metropolis" Panel+Workshop, my research aligns

seamlessly with the theme of exploring everyday experiences of urban heat and its

historical impact on urban communities. It offers a unique perspective on how creative

methods, like music and art, can be employed to convey the climate-related issues that

have plagued cities for centuries. My work resonates with the broader discussions on

urban environmental history and the urgent need to address climate breakdown.

I am eager to contribute to this interdisciplinary dialogue and I believe that my

research can enrich the conference by providing a fresh and engaging perspective on

urban climate change. Thank you for considering my participation in this inspiring event.

Contribution short abstract:

Two great challenges face humanity in the 21st century: solving an escalating environmental crisis, while also safeguarding and further improving human living conditions. I present an ecosemiotic framework for the study of societal transformations, enveloping socio-ecological developments.

Contribution long abstract:

My contribution will be based on my published article "Anticipating the societal transformation required to solve the environmental crisis in the 21st century" (see https://ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/sss/article/view/SSS.2021.49.1-2.02). Here I present a ecosemiotic perspective on socio-ecological developments historically and with a view to the future. Two great challenges face humanity in the 21st century: solving an escalating environmental crisis, while also safeguarding and further improving human living conditions. An ecosemiotic framework for the study of societal transformations is presented and political and other normative aspects of what I call transformative semiotics are discussed. This envelops socio-cultural and socio-ecological developments framed in terms of umwelt theory and Deep Ecology. In the long run, developments in human ecology as reflected in our changing relations to non-humans are expressed in the umwelt trajectory of humankind. The question of how the environmental crisis can best be solved is therefore tantamount to the question about what direction the human umwelt trajectory should take in this century. I outline different plausible umwelt scenarios for human ecology in the 21st century, focused on business-as-usual, ecomodernist and Deep Ecology scenarios. In a concluding discussion on technology and sustainability, the scenario development eventually includes a distinction between flexible and inflexible development paths.

Contribution short abstract:

Coastal wetlands on the edge of the megacity represent a key area in terms of the resilient adaptation strategy. From a historical perspective, this study revealed land use changes and driving factors in association with wetlands, with a special reference to eastern Chongming Island, Shanghai City.

Contribution long abstract:

Coastal urban areas are faced with risks induced by global warming and sea level rise,which puts pressure on regional sustainable development. Coastal wetlands on the edge of the megacity represent a vulnerable ecosystem and a key area in terms of the resilient adaptation strategy. However, the interrelationship between the development of these wetlands and the megacity’s adaptation practice has not been sufficiently analyzed. From a historical perspective, we attempt in this study to reveal long-term land use stages and driving factors in association with urban marginal wetlands, with a special reference to eastern Chongming Island, Shanghai. On such a basis, the future adaptation strategy of the megacity is evaluated. The analytical results show that this island has witnessed three periods of time for wetland utilization: traditional land use for salt production, fishery and agriculture before 1950s, industrialization with rapid reclamation in the middle and late 20th century, and the land use pattern orientated toward wetland ecosystem protection after the beginning of the 21st century. The driving forces include sediment budget on the coast, wetland morphodynamic processes, sea level rise, population growth, and resource management policy changes. Furthermore, facing future climate change, there are different options of adaptation. It may not be suitable for coastal cities with a large population to take the retreat option. It will be suitable for coastal communities to adhere to the location, if solutions to the problems of flooding risk, coastal erosion, and the maintenance of coastal facilities can be found.

Contribution short abstract:

This paper investigates factors other than climatic issues that caused adverse weather during the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 to affect harvest conditions in Yunnan province, China.

Contribution long abstract:

This paper investigates factors other than climatic issues that caused adverse weather during the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 to affect harvest conditions in Yunnan province, China. A thorough analysis of the primary sources and second-hand data will demonstrate the findings. The analysis reveals several key findings. First, it suggests a long-term institutional inefficiency of local governmental authorities, which failed to make the agricultural sector resilient to sudden climatic shocks. Derived from the local chronicles, it is noticeable that the authorities had only emphasized collecting heavy taxes from the farmers by imposing strict law enforcement.

Second, the agricultural sector had low-quality factor endowments. The area relied on an outdated irrigation system, necessitating intensive labor participation. Lastly, no evidence suggests that the grain varieties and soil could become resilient to low temperatures, further deteriorating the adverse weather conditions.

The conclusion suggests that when the agricultural sector possesses low-quality institutions and factor endowments, adverse weather will cause severe harvest failures and famine when climatic shocks occur.

Keywords: Agricultural History, China, Mount Tambora, Adverse Weather, Famine, Institution, Adaptation, Resilience, Factor Endowments

Contribution short abstract:

In the Juan Fernández archipelago, the human imprint emerged late. These places, transitioning from the Holocene to the Anthropocene, act as environmental history labs. The debate focuses on resilience versus degradation and the quest for sustainability in a globalised world.

Contribution long abstract:

In the Juan Fernández archipelago, along with other remote regions like oceanic islands and caves, the human imprint was belatedly felt. These unique landscapes, bridging the Holocene to the Anthropocene, offer invaluable insights as natural laboratories for studying environmental history. Their late interaction with humans prompts significant inquiries about our ecological footprint: Why do certain regions manifest pronounced resilience, while others succumb to swift degradation?

The book "Feral Biologies" underscores the culmination of human diaspora, suggesting that the ever-reducing natural sanctuaries for biodiversity necessitate a re-evaluation of our sustainability practices. As the last frontiers of human exploration and settlement, these territories confront us with the imperatives of ecological stewardship in a rapidly globalising world.

These areas not only prompt reflections on the past but also challenge present-day methodologies and strategies. How we interact, manage, and coexist with these ecosystems could provide lessons for broader applications, underscoring the significance of interdisciplinary collaborations. As history and science converge in these discussions, the shared goal remains clear: to establish a sustainable coexistence paradigm in an increasingly interconnected world.