Header image

Island adaptation experiences

Tracks
Ocean, Islands, Futures
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Speaker

Miss Zoe Brown
PhD Researcher
University of Oxford

Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation in small island developing states: a systematic review

8:00 AM - 8:15 AM

Biography

Zoe Brown is a PhD researcher at the University of Oxford, originally from The Bahamas. She is studying Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation in Small Island Developing States. Zoe holds an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management from Oxford and a BSc with Honours in Biology from Acadia University, Canada.
Prof Elizabeth MacPherson
Professor of Law
University of Canterbury

Blue carbon futures: legal and policy challenges in comparative contexts

8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Biography

Elizabeth Macpherson is a Professor of Law and Rutherford Discovery Fellow at the University of Canterbury, specialising in water and marine law and policy and intersections with environmental and Indigenous rights. She has recently been selected as a New Zealand entry to the 2025 Frontiers Planet Prize.
Dr Rosanne Martyr
Senior Scientist
Climate Analytics

Adaptive planning decision support for island communities: Climate impacts, adaptation options and adaptation modelling to address compound flooding in Trinidad and Tobago

8:30 AM - 8:45 AM

Biography

Dr. Rosanne Martyr is a senior scientist at Climate Analytics, a global climate science and policy institute. Her research focuses on climate risk, potential and limits of adaptation, and the connections across risk, adaptation, and loss and damage, with a focus on Small Island Developing States. Dr. Gundula Winter is a researcher and advisor at Deltares, an independent Dutch knowledge institute for water and the subsurface. Her work focuses on coastal and flood modelling, development of adaptation decision support systems, and adaptation pathways for Small Island States.
Dr Séverine Bouard
Senior Research Fellow
Institute of Agronomy of New Caledonia / IAC

Bridging Knowledge: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Adaptation in the Pacific

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Biography

Séverine Bouard is a human geographer. She assesses the extent of agriculture, hunting/fishing activities among Indigenous Pacific people. She explains they are influenced by and affect natural resources management and climate change, and she examines this in the context of the commodification of nature and emerging indigenous discourses on nature and places. Catherine Sabinot has been an environmental anthropologist at the IRD in Nouméa for 13 years, involved in research programmes focusing on adaptation and sustainability of island territories. For the last 5 years, she has been an expert at the IPBES, participating as lead author in the assessment on transformative change. Christophe Menkes and Alexandre Peltier are climate researchers specialized in Pacific climate extremes (e.g cyclones, heat waves) and variabilities from ENSO (El Niño/Southern Oscillation) down to long-term changes (e.g climate change) as well as Island scale climates in the Pacific Gildas Guidigan is a meteorologist and climate scientist specialized in land atmosphere interaction effect on land surface energy and their impact on agriculture. Dakéga Ragatoa is a climate scientist specialized in land-atmosphere interactions, dynamics and impacts of climate extremes in tropical regions. Maya Leclercq is a social anthropologist and project manager, corkin on issues related to environmental and social impacts. Samson Jean-Marie, with degrees in Agricultural Engineering and Marine and Coastal Sciences, is pursuing a PhD on climate change resilience in New Caledonia and Vanuatu under the CLIPSSA project. Supervised by Sabinot, David, and Menkes, he has experience in ecological transition, maritime fisheries, and agricultural public services in Haiti and France. Fleur VALLET is an environmental geographer specialising in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, sustainable cities and biodiversity conservation in developing and emerging countries (Africa, the Indian Ocean, South Pacific). She has worked on cross-cutting and interdisciplinary development projects for public development agencies, governments and international and national research institutes.
Dr Gildas Guidigan
Researcher
French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)

Bridging Knowledge: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Adaptation in the Pacific

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Biography

Gildas is a meteorologist and climate scientist specialized in land atmosphere interaction effect on land surface energy and their impact on agriculture.
Samson JEAN MARIE
IRD

Bridging Knowledge: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Adaptation in the Pacific

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Biography

PhD Student, Espacedev Unit. (IRD, UM, UR, UA, UG, UNC), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD).
Maya Leclercq
IRD

Bridging Knowledge: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Adaptation in the Pacific

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Biography

Maya is a social anthropologist and project manager, corkin on issues related to environmental and social impacts. Farmers’ capacity of experimentation as a lever for adapting to climate change in French Polynesia
Christophe Menkes
IRD

Bridging Knowledge: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Adaptation in the Pacific

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Biography

Christophe Menkes is a climate researcher specialized in Pacific climate extremes (e.g cyclones, heat waves) and variabilities from ENSO (El Niño/Southern Oscillation) down to long-term changes (e.g climate change) as well as Island scale climates in the Pacific
Alexandre Peltier
Météo-France

Bridging Knowledge: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Adaptation in the Pacific

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Biography

Alexandre Peltier is a climate researcher specialized in Pacific climate extremes (e.g cyclones, heat waves) and variabilities from ENSO (El Niño/Southern Oscillation) down to long-term changes (e.g climate change) as well as Island scale climates in the Pacific
Dr Dakéga Ragatoa
Researcher
IRD

Bridging Knowledge: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Adaptation in the Pacific

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Biography

Dakéga is a climate scientist specialized in land-atmosphere interactions, dynamics and impacts of climate extremes in tropical regions.
Anne Louise Burdett
Program Manager
Cresta Coastal Network

Cuba at a crossroads: nature based solutions in the crown jewel of the Caribbean

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Biography

Fernando is a conservation scientist who focuses on the regeneration and protection of tropical coastal and marine habitats. He is Director of Cresta Coastal Network which assists coastal communities in the Caribbean adapt to climate change through creation of alternative livelihoods, restoration, and efforts to protect critically endangered marine species.
loading