Climate mobility and the pandemic: art–science lessons for societal resilience

Abstract

Societies were underprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also the case for climate change. Art may have a greater role to play in advancing societal resilience across these different categories of shocks and risks. In this Intervention, we deploy and evaluate art as a social practice supporting societal responses to sea level rise and its impacts. Our evaluation is focused on the ways in which the open-ended, deliberately unusual juxtaposition of art and science can accelerate fundamental adjustments in responding to complex climate risks such as climate mobility threats, under simultaneous stressors such as COVID-19. Through art, we explore science–society interactions, using Miami as a globally relevant case study. Our critique identifies outcomes of the perhaps radically interdisciplinary approach, including the integration, passion, and dialogue enabled and enriched through art.

Keywords:

• sea level rise
• climate mobility
• art as social practice
• resilience
• science–policy interactions

Acknowledgments

J. Niemann provided assistance with literature research and management. All authors conceptualized the analysis. X.C. developed the art and figures. All authors drafted and contributed edits to the manuscript.

Declaration of interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Data and materials availability

All data are available in the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this work was provided by University of Miami Laboratory for INtegrative Knowledge (U-LINK).