Global-Scale Research

I have been involved in advancing knowledge co-creation activities with Indigenous Peoples in major assessment initiatives, the first global-scale assessments of adaptation to climate change in mountains and the Arctic, and efforts to track and evaluate climate change vulnerability research at the global-scale.

Knowledge Co-Creation with Indigenous Peoples in Large-Scale Assessments - Role: Lead Researcher/Contributing Researcher       

Major knowledge assessment initiatives such as the IPCC play a key role in raising awareness of salient issues, characterizing the state of knowledge, and informing research and policy action. However to date meaningful knowledge co-creation with Indigenous Peoples in large-scale assessment initiatives has been extremely limited, constraining efforts to develop a full account of topics of concern. Drawing on my experience working with Indigenous communities as well as with major scientific assessment programs, I have sought to 1) raise awareness about the instrumental, legal and moral, and relational importance of including Indigenous Peoples in assessment activities and 2) to co-develop methodologies for advancing applied reconciliation efforts in large-scale assessment activities. While much of this work has been based in Canada, it is relevant to and seeks to inform similar knowledge co-creation efforts globally.

• McDowell, G. Stevens, M., Marshall., S. et al. (2023) Canadian Mountain Assessment: Walking Together to Enhance Understanding of Mountains in Canada. University of Calgary Press.

• McDowell, G. (2022) The Canadian Mountain Assessment: Engaging with multiple ways of knowing to advance understanding of mountains in Canada. 2022 State of the Mountains Report. Alpine Club of Canada.

• Kassi, N., Humphries, M., McDowell, G. (2020) The Canadian Mountain Network: Advancing innovative, solutions-based research to inform decision-making. Mountain Research and Development. 40(4) https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-21-00004.1

• Ford, J., King, N., Galappaththi, E., Pearch, T., McDowell, G., Harper, S. (2020) The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change. One Earth. 2(6) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.05.014 

Systematic Reviews of Climate Change Adaptation in High Mountains and the Arctic - Role: Lead Researcher/Contributing Researcher

Conducted as several independent projects, these studies used formal systematic review methods to assess the current state of knowledge about the human adaptation to climate change across the planet’s 1) mountain and 2) Arctic regions. This work supports efforts to track on-the-ground adaptation processes and outcomes, and helps to inform research/policy agendas for addressing key knowledge and action gaps. Several studies also make unique analytical and conceptual contributions to work on the human dimensions of climate change.

Related publications:

• Adler, C., Wester, P., … McDowell, G., et al. (2022) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report. Working Group II. Cross-Chapter Paper on Mountains. Cambridge University Press.

• McDowell, G., Stevens, M., Lesnikowski, A., Huggel, C., Harden, A., DiBella, J., Morecroft, M., Kumar, P. Joe, E.T., Bhatt, I. (2021) Closing the adaptation gap in mountains. Mountain Research and Development. 41(3) https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-21-00033.1

• Aggarwal, A., Frey, H., McDowell, G., Drenkhan, F., Nüsser, M., Racoviteanu, A., Hoelzle, M. (2021) Adaptation to climate change induced water stress in major glacierized mountain regions. Climate and Development. 14(7) https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2021.1971059

• Canosa, I., Ford, J., McDowell, G., Jones, J., Pearce, T. (2020) Progress in climate change adaptation in the Arctic. Environmental Research Letters. 15(9) https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab9be1

• Hock, R., Rasul, G., … McDowell, G., et al. (2019) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC). High Mountain Areas chapter. Cambridge University Press.

• McDowell, G., Huggel, C., Frey, H., Wang, F., Cramer, R., Ricciardi, V. (2019) Adaptation action and research in glaciated mountain systems: Are they enough to meet the challenge of climate change? Global Environmental Change. 54 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2018.10.012

• McDowell, G., Stephenson, E., Ford. J. (2016) Adaptation, Adaptation Science, and the Status of Adaptation in Mountain Regions. In Climate Change Adaptation Strategies: An Upstream-Downstream Lens, eds. Salzmann, N., Huggel, C., Nussbaumer, S., Ziervogel, G. (Eds). Springer.

• Ford, J., McDowell, G., Pearce, T. (2015) The adaptation challenge in the Arctic. Nature Climate Change. 5 https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2723

• McDowell, G., Stephenson, E., Ford. J. (2014) Adaptation to climate change in glaciated mountain regions. Climatic Change. 126 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1215-z

• Ford, J., McDowell, G. Jones, J. (2014) The state of climate change adaptation in the Arctic. Environmental Research Letters. 9 DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/104005

Tracking and Evaluating Climate Change Vulnerability Research - Role: Lead Researcher/Contributing Researcher       

These projects quantified trends in community-level climate change vulnerability research since 1990, developed and applied a critical evaluation framework to identify successes and shortcomings within the existing vulnerability research, and identified salient opportunities for improving the scholarly and real-world relevance of climate change vulnerability research.

Related publications:

• Ford, J., Pearce, T., McDowell, G. et al. (2018) Vulnerability and its discontents: The past, present, and future of climate change vulnerability research. Climatic Change. 151 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2304-1

• McDowell, G., Ford. J., Jones, J. (2016) 25 years of community-level climate change vulnerability research: Trends, progress, and future directions. Environmental Research Letters. 11 DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/033001