Dr. Johanna Nalau On How Critical Leadership Is For Effective Climate Adaptation

Dr. Nalau is an award-winning adaptation scientist who thrives on finding clues how humans can better see into the future and make robust decisions on how we adapt to climate change.

Her Australian Research Council DECRA research focuses on understanding climate adaptation decision heuristics and the role these play in adaptation decision- and policy-making processes globally and nationally.

Dr. Nalau is Lead Author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment report in Working Group II (Chapter 15 Small Islands), Co-Chair of the Science Committee of the World Adaptation Science Program, and leads the Adaptation Science Research Theme at Cities Research Institute, Griffith University.

Dr. Nalau discusses how the scientific community assists leaders in decision making and the importance of including all key stakeholders in dialogue regarding climate change adaptation.

Highlights from the interview (listen to the podcast for full details)

[Indio Myles] - To start off, could you please share a bit about your background and what led to your interest and work in decision-making around climate change adaptation?

[Dr. Johanna Nalau] - I was studying for my Bachelor’s degree I did in the University of Stockholm. I was studying human geography, because I've always really been interested in human environments and interactions. After that I got accepted into a Master’s program in Finland, looking again at the human-environment linkages. At that point, The Department of Geography had a project in Zanzibar in East Africa, so some of the work and research I did during my master’s was looking at the interactions between the communities that lived in coastal zones and then the recent governance conflicts there. After that, I was lucky enough to join a new project where we looked at coastal forest buffer zones, so that's something we nowadays call ecosystem-based adaptation. It was about how can we strengthen biodiversity, plant more species on the coastal zone and help communities to adapt to potential impacts that they already faced from flooding.

While I was doing that research, I was really struck by the fact that they had all these other development issues with poverty and inequality. We were talking about climate change adaptation and rising sea levels in a really resource poor country.

When we completed this study, I really wanted to understand more about what is adaptation and how can we do it effectively? I applied at Griffith University for a PhD scholarship and got accepted. I thought that since it's going to be on the Gold Coast, I'm sure they've worked it out because they have lots of resources and better governance. I came to the Gold Coast in 2009 at Griffith University and completed my PhD looking at decision and policy making, especially in Southeast Queensland, with some of the local governments.

The more I do research on adaptation the more questions I have. There are all these competing priorities. There's the environment, transport and urban planning, so how do we actually do these things well, but also with the view that the climate is already changing and will be changing quite dramatically as well here in Australia?

As an adaptation scientist, can you describe a bit more about this work and your role specifically involves? Additionally, how does your work influence how people then choose to manage the environment around them?

Climate change adaptation is an emerging discipline, so it's very much still in the making. There are a few of us who have really long-term careers looking specifically at how we adapt to climate change. That's why some of us call ourselves adaptation scientists, to explain our focus and what we do. I'm a social scientist and pretty much all of my research is about people. It's about how do we make decisions and what kinds of heuristics do we use in the process when we think about the future and our current climate at the moment. My role is very diverse. I do lots of my research here in Australia and globally as well looking at these really fundamental assumptions that we hold about adaptation and how we are supposed to adapt to climate change. One of these assumptions for instance is that adaptation is only a local issue. What's often happening is that when we say that people are saying, "oh, it's a local issue. Whose responsibility is it? It's the local government and the local communities."

There's a lot of misperceptions because we know that to do adaptation really well, you need all levels of government. You need the private sector, communities and the public, so there's no one entity or one person that's responsible for adaptation.

My work is really looking at those fundamental assumptions and questioning some of them as well.

I think that what's exciting for me is that adaptation is now recognised as a real issue for policy. It is inevitable, so it's something that we really need to start thinking about. I'm really interested also in how people think about adaptation and how does that guide the decisions and policies that they put in place. I'm also one of the Co-Chairs for the Science Committee for the United Nations Environment Program. There's a World Adaptation Science Program and I'm involved in that, so that's really bringing together key thinkers and adaptation scientists to try and understand what the current and emerging trends are. It's a lot of late-night conference calls discussing and also producing, for instance, policy briefs that we've presented at the COP26 this year. I have many PhD students as well, who are all looking at different aspects of adaptation and then supporting their research as well. The IPCC, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Our Working Group II is finishing its 6th Assessment Report on Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation next February. That's quite a massive but exciting initiative to be involved in.

What responses have you seen globally from people in different communities reacting, changing and making decisions around climate change?

I think there are lots of community-based initiatives, especially in developing countries. There's ecosystem-based adaptation, so that's looking at developing multiple benefits. If there's for instance on the coast erosion, they are thinking how we cannot go to sea walls as our first option. Sea walls are needed in some locations, but how do we, for instance, plant more trees to strengthen the biodiversity at the same time?

The nature-based solutions discussion globally is really emerging, and that has been a big focus on the biodiversity field and adaptation as well.

There's lots of organisations and initiatives for instance that then also engage communities in future visioning, trying to explain what is climate change, what is adaptation, what paths are there and what other potential strategies and options are available? They're trying to explain and increase their understanding. Also, we talk about adaptation literacy, but also climate literacy, so that we can understand at least the basics of climate change we should be considering. There's lots of those initiatives as well. Obviously, there are lots of policies and strategies at different levels of governance we have seen in Australia. There's many local governments and state governments who are really passionately divided about addressing climate change. This includes reducing emissions, but also thinking if we have more heatwaves and extreme storms, how is our infrastructure going to fair with the standards that we have today?

How are we going to communicate these really complex future oriented issues to our communities, and how can we get the social acceptance or buy in that they will then support some of the initiatives that we are going to put in place? It's actually been really inspiring to see in the last few years that there's so much more that's being done, and that's also in the private sector as well. There's this youth movement now on climate change, and young people are really up in arms saying this is our future, maybe we can't be voting, but these are really the core decisions that will impact our lives and the lives of their children.

Aside from your work as a climate adaptation scientist, you're also a really passionate proponent of leadership and its role in improving people's lives. What advice would you give to someone looking to effectively lead positive change in the world around them?

I came to the realisation probably four or five years ago. I was going through some big changes in my personal life, and I actually stumbled upon a podcast called Coaching For Leaders. A lot of the interviews featured some of the brightest minds on leadership, and I just binge listened to the episodes. I had this really sudden realisation that leadership is what makes or breaks organisations. Leadership can propel people forward with us and move organisations forward.

But, if you have bad leaders and inadequate leadership, if you have all those people who have positions, but they are not actually leading in an inclusive manner, then a lot of your efforts are just going to be constrained and limited.

I think one of the most beautiful definitions of leadership comes from Brené Brown who says that it's not about the position, it is about a person being brave enough to embrace the fact that they can see potential in themselves and in others to be a leader. Then they take the steps to foster that leadership potential. That really for me turned around my understanding of what is a leader. That's what I always teach to my students when we have this leadership discussion.

You don't have to be a CEO or a Director, you can lead exactly where you are right now and attain some of those skills.

I would say that following other leaders, whether it's through social media or reading books, and trying to really understand the diversity of leadership styles and models through doing some of your own thinking as well is important. You can figure out what kind of person you are, what are your strengths and what is the leadership style that fits really well for you?

Don't wait for opportunities, but make them. A lot of the times we might have aspirations to be a leader, we might have aspirations to do something, but then we sit and think, “nobody's asked me to do anything." Think about being super proactive.

In today's world, there are so many free courses and information out there. Also seek mentorship. A lot of people who are in leadership positions, especially those that represent it for you, a lot of them really want to embrace potential in other people. Definitely looking into having a mentor is really important, but it doesn't always have to be a person because I know that these great leaders get a lot of requests. But it might be joining a leadership academy, making your own leadership group or just following other people that you really respect and then reflecting on how their lessons apply to your own life.

Are there any stakeholders that are forgotten when discussing climate change, and how can we include these communities in that dialogue?

I couldn't go to the COP26 this year, so I've been following a lot of the social media coverage. Just yesterday, this group called the elders including Mary Robison and other really prominent people were saying, "where are the youth? Where are the Indigenous communities, where are the really vulnerable communities in this dialogue when we start discussing climate change?" She basically said the audience is not wide and the diversity of voicing is still missing. I do have to say that the UNFCCC, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, over the years have been opening more spaces for local communities and Indigenous groups to be engaged in that dialogue. I think there are still a lot of imbalances, and when we talk about climate change and equality, we often forget that the people who go to these meetings and who have the decision-making power are often not as vulnerable.

A lot of the vulnerable communities who have major issues with development and poverty are not necessarily represented. I think including these communities in dialogues has been attempted many times, but I think there is an emerging conversation on how we can do that better. For instance, at the Convention Of Parties, there has been more space given to dialogues, bringing different NGOs, policymakers, the private sector and everyone together to have a discussion and to understand each other and where they're coming from. I think part of the friction and part of the conflict comes from that we just don't understand human experiences other than our own. I wouldn't know what it is like to live in a coastal community that's really vulnerable or where I don't have income and I have to struggle to get education for my children. Having these dialogues and listening to others and their perspectives is where I think being inclusive comes from.

It's not just bringing these people into the same room or giving them opportunities to submit their opinions, but it actually rests with us as well to listen and to understand what they're going through.

Then, we must also think how in this instance with adaptation will this strategy work? How is this initiative actually going to deliver the outcomes that will increase the wellbeing and reduce the vulnerability of those communities?

Where do you see other opportunities at a global level for effective climate action to be taken?

Every year when there is the Convention Of Parties, there's a lot of media, important discussions and financial decisions that are being made. I've been really happy to see that adaptation specific funding has increased. I think it's around $300 million or more at this point just coming from this COP. But I think we know that countries like Australia need to really start thinking and stronger climate action. One of the actions that I see is about people voting, making noise and making sure that policy makers at all levels of government understand people are serious about climate change. They are starting to understand what that means and the Australia Institute this year made a survey again that showed between 60 or 70% of Australians want climate action. I think the other area where we are seeing lots of movement is the private sector. Some of that is probably going on below most people's radars. But there are so many opportunities there as well.

How are for instance these supply chains being made more sustainable? How are they considering climate risk, and that goes for banks, insurance and all these different old actors that could have a really positive impact in reducing their emissions.

But then again, often it is about the public, and if we don't make noise and we just go along with the status quo then I don't see much changing. One of the really cool things is the young people they use. I definitely see opportunities there. We have this massive global youth climate movement coming and saying that this is enough. People are also making brave decisions. With leadership, if there is a decision that needs to be made, it's not always necessarily the popular one. But if it's the right one, then you do it. I think a lot of governments, so for instance if you look at the EU and the other big players, understand the necessity of acting on climate change, but they also understand that we have to adapt.

We have to reduce emissions and we have to also start thinking about what do we do when for instance we have bush fires like we had in 2019-2020?

What can we do differently? How can we help our communities to start preparing or are there some zones where we can't actually have housing? I think there's a lot to do both in the mitigation side and the adaptation side. I've being really happy that during the COP26, the Australian government for instance has released its updated National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy, and they've also published their adaptation communications stock taking. There's a lot of work to do nationally, definitely in how we can make sure that the goalpost that we are setting nationally for effective adaptation is actually adopted.

To finish off, are there any books that you would recommend to our listeners, whether those are relating to climate change or leadership and management?

When I started the Coaching for Leaders Academy, I also started writing a blog on leadership books. For two and a half years I wrote a blog every week, so I also read a book every week, but I think there's three books that have really resonated with me. Dorie Clark is a branding author, but she's all about teaching people how to stand out. Obviously, her book Stand Out is amazing.

It's all about this story of people who have this idea, and they are not sure whether it is a good idea, but then they take a leap of faith and are creating this amazing impact whether it’s in sustainability or other areas.

Stand Out is my go-to book, and she has a new book that's called The Long Game. I still haven't gotten my copy, but that's definitely a book to look out for. I think it's sold out at this point for many countries, but if you can find it, then I'd definitely recommended that.

When we think about leadership, there's Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, and he wrote this book a few years ago that was quite controversial, but it's called Why do so many incompetent men become leaders (and how to fix it)? He got a lot of press from the title, but basically, he's a leadership psychologist. The whole book is about expanding our understanding of leadership traits and he really talks about the major difference between confidence and competence. Our human psychology when we see somebody who's super confident makes us think, "oh, they must be a really competent." A lot of these leadership traits are about being competent through being cutthroat and showing strong leadership, and people think that it makes you a good leader. Then for women we keep telling them, "well, if you want to be recognised as a leader, you should be doing the same stuff."

What he's saying in his book is that the leaders who are actually more impactful often have more of the traits that women have. They are more inclusive; they are actually concerned about the people that they lead.

That's definitely a really great book to read if you want to understand some of the psychology behind leadership, and he's written lots of articles on that and done TED Talks as well. The last book I would probably recommend is by Seth Godin. Seth is an amazing person in all the work that he's creating around marketing, branding and putting ourselves out there. His latest book that just came out this year is called the The Practice: Shipping Creative Work. It is such an inspiring read, because he talks about not just outcomes. He's saying we are all so fixated on outcomes that we forget that the process is where the magic is. His book is really a call to focus on our practice and what we do each day.

When we have an idea, he says that not everybody will like your idea because you're dancing on the frontier. But for the right people, it will resonate with them.

Focusing on your practice, on your ideas and really focusing on what you do is where the great outcomes will then result from. I think for a lot of us who are really keen to make an impact, we often are really fixated on the end goals and outcomes, and I think reading this book has been really freeing in the sense that if I put in good work and honour the ideas that I have, then something will result from it.