468 Int. J. Global Warming, Vol. 12, Nos. 3/4, 2017
Copyright © 2017 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Integrative education for climate change resilience x
sustainable development transformations
Timothy J. Downs
Environmental Science and Policy Program,
Department of International Development,
Community and Environment,
Clark University,
950 Main Street, Worcester,
MA 01610, USA
Email: TDowns@clarku.edu
Nikita Golovko
Department of Philosophy and Institute of Philosophy and Law,
Novosibirsk State University,
2 Pirogova Street,
Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
Email: golovko@philosophy.nsc.ru
Abstract: To meet society’s need to better understand and respond to complex,
interwoven problems of climate and sustainability, we herein introduce an
integrative framework being applied in a US university setting for
conceptualising, designing and deploying educational programs that
interconnect climate change resilience (CCR) with sustainable development
(SD). The framework weaves together five main strands of integration: 1)
socio-political stakeholder interests and influences; 2) development sectors; 3)
knowledge types; 4) socio-technical capacities, including education; 5) the
smart networking of project sites across varying geographical scales. We pose
and answer: what kinds of integrative educational programs, curricula and
project practicums can enable transformations in CCRxSD practice? A
philosophical foundation undergirds the knowledge and skills base of the
suggested programming. Two collaborative case studies illustrate integrative
practicums: 1) Fisherville Mill Site, Grafton, Massachusetts, USA – a showcase
in urban sustainability; 2) Fijian Islands – a prospective case study in
integrative CCRxSD program design.
Keywords: integrative approach; climate change resilience; sustainability;
social learning.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Downs, T.J. and
Golovko, N. (2017) ‘Integrative education for climate change resilience x
sustainable development transformations’, Int. J. Global Warming, Vol. 12,
Nos. 3/4, pp.468–482.
Biographical notes: Timothy J. Downs is a specialist in environmental science
and engineering with 25 years field experience designing and managing
collaborative projects in the UK, the USA, Latin America and Africa. His focus
is on how humans change the environment (especially water resources) and
how those changes impact their health, wellbeing, and the ecosystems they