The hidden connections that build climate resilience

When floods, fires, or heatwaves hit, some communities bounce back, while others fall apart. The difference can have nothing to do with emergency services, plans, or infrastructure. It comes down to our relationships, and how people, organisations and ecosystems are connected.

Michele Barnes studies these networks to better understand how resilience to climate change actually works. Her findings illustrate resilience isn't only built with concrete and government plans - but also in the way we share knowledge, support one another, and interact with the environments around us.

Bio

Michele Barnes is an environmental social scientist at the University of Sydney whose research focuses on how patterns of connection between people, organisations, and ecosystems shape our ability to respond to climate change. Working with coastal and resource-dependent communities across Australia and internationally, she maps how information and resources flow through social and ecological networks, and why some people are positioned to adapt while others are left exposed. Her research makes a compelling case that the most powerful climate adaptation strategy might be something much simpler than we think: building the right connections.

Event

Thursday 7 May, 8:00 – 8:45 PM @Bank Hotel, 324 King St, Newtown NSW 2042

The other talk at this location is Gender Equality at Work: Lessons from Around the World at 6:30 – 7:15 PM