Indigenous Kinabatangan Perspectives on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations: Factors Influencing Their Support and Participation

• Published in: Sustainability Vol. 14; no. 11; p. 6459
• Main Authors: Pimid, Marcela, Nasir, Mohammad Rusdi Mohd, Scian, Joanna, Ahmad, A. Ghafar, Abdul Mutalib, Aini Hasanah, Perijin, Jimli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2022
• Subjects: Adaptation; Attitudes; Climate adaptation; Climate change; Climate effects; Climate policy; Community; Decision making; Drought; Environmental hazards; Farmers; Forest products; Global temperature changes; Indigenous peoples; Malaysia; Meteorological data; Multivariate statistical analysis; Native peoples; Natural resources; Sea level; Sustainability; Tourism; Wildlife conservation; Malaysia; Kinabatangan River
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su14116459

Indigenous perspectives on the effects of climate change are frequently elicited through surveys and interviews, and the responses are compared to meteorological data. However, there remains a limited approach to examining the underlying predictors that best determine Indigenous support for adaptation strategies. This study utilizes partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to identify the main indicators of Indigenous support for coping with unfavorable climate impacts. Using a case study and a purposive sampling approach, a survey of 328 Indigenous peoples was conducted in rural Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysia. Results showed that communities’ attitudes had a large effect on the Indigenous support for adaptation (f2 = 0.380), followed by the communities’ awarenesses (f2 = 0.063), rapid onset events (f2 = 0.051), and climate impacts on tourism (f2 = 0.016). Communities prioritize the impacts of climate change on their health, livelihoods, and environmental resources. Nevertheless, they do not draw a causal link between the effects and responses to climate hazards. Coping strategies such as the inclusion of Indigenous livelihoods, a bottom-up approach, and transparent communication are suggested to cultivate Indigenous support for climate change adaptation. Decision-makers can apply these findings to prepare climate change policies and enhance the adaptation strategies of Indigenous communities.