Professor Louise Steel Represents Coastal TALES at Belmont Forum’s Climate and Cultural Heritage Midterm Event
Professor Louise Steel, Principal Investigator of the Coastal TALES project and Director of Research at the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition Hub at the ÃÜÌÒ´«Ã½ (UWTSD), represented the University recently at the Midterm Online Meeting of the Belmont Forum’s Climate and Cultural Heritage (CCH) 2023 Collaborative Research Action.
The event brought together researchers from sixteen international projects funded by the Belmont Forum, all exploring the intersection of climate change and cultural heritage. As part of the Lightning Talks plenary session, where each project had 2 and a half minutes to present their key objectives and progress. Professor Steel presented key findings from the Coastal TALES project, which is working with communities in Wales, Alaska and Dublin Bay to investigate how traditional knowledge and practices are helping coastal populations adapt to the changing climate.
Coastal TALES, led from UWTSD, is grounded in ethnography and oral history, and explores how lived traditions are being sustained and transformed in response to environmental pressures. In Wales, the project is documenting community initiatives such as Câr y Môr - a regenerative ocean farming enterprise reviving traditional seafood practices within a circular, sustainable business model. In contrast, stories from the Coraclers, practitioners of small-scale river fishing, reveal anxieties around dwindling fish stocks and restrictive policies that threaten centuries-old livelihoods.
In Alaska and Dublin, the project highlights the powerful role of intergenerational knowledge in transmitting sustainable practices, particularly in fishing and environmental stewardship.
Reflecting on the event, Professor Steel said:
“It was a privilege to present our work on behalf of UWTSD and Coastal TALES. What we’re seeing is that traditional and Indigenous knowledge systems are not just important for understanding the past - they are actively shaping future resilience. Local voices must be heard in climate policy if we are to create just and sustainable solutions.â€
The event concluded with a collaborative brainstorming session, where researchers identified shared keywords including storytelling, Indigenous knowledge, and adaptation, paving the way for future thematic discussions and collaborative work.
Professor Steel’s participation highlights UWTSD’s ongoing commitment to impactful, community-based research that bridges heritage, climate action and international collaboration.
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