Rowan Gard

King's College London, Geography, Faculty Member

Followers

Following

Co-authors

Public Views

Dr Rowan Gard is an environmental social scientist with research experience in environmental degradation and climate change resilience, as well as the environmental and societal impacts of economic globalisation. She is a Lecturer in Human Geography and Sustainability at King’s College London and has worked with communities on the front lines of climate change in Oceania. She is the Environmental Sciences Editor for the International Social Sciences Journal (ISSJ), a former Research Fellow at University College London and has taught at the Universities of Edinburgh, Hawaiʻi, and St Andrews. Previously she has held management positions at the Bishop Museum—the Hawaiʻi State Museum of Cultural and Natural History—in Honolulu and at the University of California at Berkeley. When not working she adores beachcombing, wild swimming and scuba diving.

less

Noelani Goodyear-Ka'opua

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Judith L Green

University of California, Santa Barbara

Naim Kapucu

University of Central Florida

Don Ross

University College Cork

David Seamon

Kansas State University

Remo Caponi

University of Cologne

Jana Javornik

University of East London

Armando Marques-Guedes

UNL - New University of Lisbon

Rachel E Smith

University of Aberdeen

Kevin Arbuckle

Swansea University

InterestsView All (16)

Uploads

Papers by Rowan Gard

A new team and vision of the international social science journal

International Social Science Journal

A new team and vision of the international social science journal

by Michael Briguglio and Rowan Gard

International Social Science Journal, 2023

Since its inception in 1949 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizati... more Since its inception in 1949 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Social Science Journal (ISSJ) has sought to strengthen the ties between social science communities globally. Aiming to reach the widest possible audience for over 70 years, the ISSJ uses inter-disciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to uncover new knowledge, offering an open door for theoretical and applied research. In January 2023, an editorial team composed of scholars from various regions and with backgrounds in different areas of the social sciences was assembled to cooperatively strive for excellence in publishing outstanding works and advance our scholarly and inter-disciplinary knowledge. Baris Cayli Messina, appointed Editor-in-Chief, was accompanied by eight other leading editors: Julie Aitken Schermer, Michael Briguglio, Rowan Gard, Andrea Gatto, Liang Ma, Umer Shahzad, Lexi Webster and Jianzhi Zhao, all established academics in their respective fields who have joined forces to preserve and enhance the International Social Sciences Journal's authoritative stature.

Welcome to the Age of Sustainable Development

Anthropology Today, 2018

Paddling on Both Sides of the Canoe: Toward a Consilience of Science and Spirituality in Climate Change Response

Climate Change Management, 2021

In the wake of winston – climate change, mobility and resiliency in fiji

International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering, 2017

When tropical cyclone Winston hit Fiji on 20 February 2016, it became the strongest storm recorde... more When tropical cyclone Winston hit Fiji on 20 February 2016, it became the strongest storm recorded in the southern hemisphere and the second strongest storm ever recorded in the world. Forty-four people died as a result of the superstorm, and the ongoing governmental recovery plans have estimated nearly three billion Fijian dollars (£1.1 billion) in damages. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, in a national address following Winston, stated 'almost no part of our nation has been left unscarred'. This paper explores the adaptation measures for extreme weather and climate change in Fiji following Winston, as well as the author's experiences both as a survivor of Winston and as a volunteer aid-relief worker living in Suva, the Fijian capital, at the time of the superstorm. Notably, Winston struck 5 days after Fiji became the first nation to ratify the United Nations Climate deal agreed to by 195 nations in Paris in December 2015. Many Pacific island nations have played a vital role in leading the global dialogue on climate change. In the lead up to the Paris summit, Prime Minister Bainimarama, stressed that 'unless the world acts decisively in the coming weeks to begin addressing the greatest challenge of our age, then the Pacific, as we know it, is doomed.' This is undoubtedly true and a global response is desperately needed, but equally true is the importance for such a reaction to be a cultural and faith-integrated process across multiple scales, ranging from village and community to regional, in scope. One critical aspect of extreme weather and climate change response in the Pacific is migration. However, the impacts of migration include organizing, adaptation and urban poverty, a further source of vulnerability. Consequently, human mobility in response to extreme weather and climate change is far more complex than originally addressed and is deserving of deeper consideration.

Download

In the wake of winston – climate change, mobility and resiliency in fiji

International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering, 2017

Download

A cost surface model of volcanic glass quarrying and exchange in Hawai‘i

by Rowan Gard and Jennifer Kahn

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2011

... SAA Archaeological Record 10(5):17-20. Sheppard, PJ, Irwin, GJ, Lin, SC, McCaffrey, CP, in pr... more

Looking for Light on the Dark Side of the American Dream— Exploring the Painful Legacy of Nuclear Colonialism in Paradise

International Journal of Research in Sociology and Anthropology, 2017

It is estimated that in the last thirty years over 30% of Micronesians, or some 75,000 individual... more It is estimated that in the last thirty years over 30% of Micronesians, or some 75,000 individuals, have immigrated to Hawai'i, Guam and the United States (US) mainland in accord with the Compact of Free Association (COFA). The reasons vary but nearly always revolve around the desire for a better life-yet running beneath these individual and family migration histories is the undeniable nuclear legacy of the US military in Micronesia. From 1946 through 1958 the US dropped 109 megatons of munitions, releasing radiation equivalent to more than 7,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs in the Marshall Islands, which has resulted in uninhabitable atolls and extreme environmental degradation in the region. These environmental conditions have been further exacerbated by climate change, in the forms of rising sea-levels and resulting comprised freshwater lenses, destructive storms and extreme droughts. This article seeks to explore the motivational factors pushing and pulling many Pacific Islanders to and from their homes in Micronesia, as well as the discrimination and harsh economic realities, such as homelessness, they encounter when arriving in the Aloha State. There is limited awareness in the US and international circles of these newest Americans and the immense challenges they face. Consequently, this article seeks to add to the burgeoning body of understanding on this complex issue, highlight the hard-won successes of all those impacted by COFA, while considering the rising rates of income inequality amid the ongoing homeless crisis in the US and calls on Congress to further support those that continue to live with the painful legacy of nuclear colonialism in the Pacific.

Download

Looking for Light on the Dark Side of the American Dream— Exploring the Painful Legacy of Nuclear Colonialism in Paradise

It is estimated that in the last thirty years over 30% of Micronesians, or some 75,000 individual... more It is estimated that in the last thirty years over 30% of Micronesians, or some 75,000 individuals, have immigrated to Hawai'i, Guam and the United States (US) mainland in accord with the Compact of Free Association (COFA). The reasons vary but nearly always revolve around the desire for a better life—yet running beneath these individual and family migration histories is the undeniable nuclear legacy of the US military in Micronesia. From 1946 through 1958 the US dropped 109 megatons of munitions, releasing radiation equivalent to more than 7,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs in the Marshall Islands, which has resulted in uninhabitable atolls and extreme environmental degradation in the region. These environmental conditions have been further exacerbated by climate change, in the forms of rising sea-levels and resulting comprised freshwater lenses, destructive storms and extreme droughts. This article seeks to explore the motivational factors pushing and pulling many Pacific Islanders to and from their homes in Micronesia, as well as the discrimination and harsh economic realities, such as homelessness, they encounter when arriving in the Aloha State. There is limited awareness in the US and international circles of these newest Americans and the immense challenges they face. Consequently, this article seeks to add to the burgeoning body of understanding on this complex issue, highlight the hard-won successes of all those impacted by COFA, while considering the rising rates of income inequality amid the ongoing homeless crisis in the US and calls on Congress to further support those that continue to live with the painful legacy of nuclear colonialism in the Pacific.

Download

IN THE WAKE OF WINSTON – CLIMATE CHANGE, MOBILITY AND RESILIENCY IN FIJI

by Rowan Gard and Joeli Veitayaki

When tropical cyclone Winston hit Fiji on 20 February 2016, it became the strongest storm recorde... more When tropical cyclone Winston hit Fiji on 20 February 2016, it became the strongest storm recorded in the southern hemisphere and the second strongest storm ever recorded in the world. Forty-four people died as a result of the superstorm, and the ongoing governmental recovery plans have estimated nearly three billion Fijian dollars (£1.1 billion) in damages. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainima-rama, in a national address following Winston, stated 'almost no part of our nation has been left unscarred'. This paper explores the adaptation measures for extreme weather and climate change in Fiji following Winston, as well as the author's experiences both as a survivor of Winston and as a volunteer aid-relief worker living in Suva, the Fijian capital, at the time of the superstorm. Notably , Winston struck 5 days after Fiji became the first nation to ratify the United Nations Climate deal agreed to by 195 nations in Paris in December 2015. Many Pacific island nations have played a vital role in leading the global dialogue on climate change. In the lead up to the Paris summit, Prime Minister Bainimarama, stressed that 'unless the world acts decisively in the coming weeks to begin addressing the greatest challenge of our age, then the Pacific, as we know it, is doomed.' This is undoubtedly true and a global response is desperately needed, but equally true is the importance for such a reaction to be a cultural and faith-integrated process across multiple scales, ranging from village and community to regional, in scope. One critical aspect of extreme weather and climate change response in the Pacific is migration. However, the impacts of migration include organizing, adaptation and urban poverty, a further source of vulnerability. Consequently, human mobility in response to extreme weather and climate change is far more complex than originally addressed and is deserving of deeper consideration.

Download

A Cost Surface Model of Volcanic Glass Quarrying and Exchange in Hawai'i

by Mark D McCoy, Rowan Gard, and Jennifer Kahn

Journal of …, Jan 1, 2011

The spatial distribution of artifacts from the Pu'u Wa'awa'a volcanic glass source (North Kona Di... more The spatial distribution of artifacts from the Pu'u Wa'awa'a volcanic glass source (North Kona District, Hawai'i Island) shows a pattern of direct access by those living in the immediately vicinity of the source with subsequent down-the-line exchange. Most quarrying and exchanges likely occurred within a single day's travel from sites where artifacts were deposited. The exception to this is the discovery of non-local direct access evident in assemblages from the extreme southern end of Hawai'i Island; these visits may have involved voyages by canoe. While people did not often travel far for volcanic glass they nonetheless appear to have had unfettered accessed to source material and freely conducted inter-community exchanges. This implies volcanic glass was treated as a common pooled resource and the existence of informal exchange relationships.

Download

A Cost Surface Model of Volcanic Glass Quarrying and Exchange in Hawai‘i

by Jennifer Kahn and Rowan Gard

Download

A new team and vision of the international social science journal

International Social Science Journal

A new team and vision of the international social science journal

by Michael Briguglio and Rowan Gard

International Social Science Journal, 2023

Welcome to the Age of Sustainable Development

Anthropology Today, 2018

Paddling on Both Sides of the Canoe: Toward a Consilience of Science and Spirituality in Climate Change Response

Climate Change Management, 2021

In the wake of winston – climate change, mobility and resiliency in fiji

International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering, 2017

Download

In the wake of winston – climate change, mobility and resiliency in fiji

International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering, 2017

Download

A cost surface model of volcanic glass quarrying and exchange in Hawai‘i

by Rowan Gard and Jennifer Kahn

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2011

... SAA Archaeological Record 10(5):17-20. Sheppard, PJ, Irwin, GJ, Lin, SC, McCaffrey, CP, in pr... more

Looking for Light on the Dark Side of the American Dream— Exploring the Painful Legacy of Nuclear Colonialism in Paradise

International Journal of Research in Sociology and Anthropology, 2017

Download

Looking for Light on the Dark Side of the American Dream— Exploring the Painful Legacy of Nuclear Colonialism in Paradise

It is estimated that in the last thirty years over 30% of Micronesians, or some 75,000 individual... more It is estimated that in the last thirty years over 30% of Micronesians, or some 75,000 individuals, have immigrated to Hawai'i, Guam and the United States (US) mainland in accord with the Compact of Free Association (COFA). The reasons vary but nearly always revolve around the desire for a better life—yet running beneath these individual and family migration histories is the undeniable nuclear legacy of the US military in Micronesia. From 1946 through 1958 the US dropped 109 megatons of munitions, releasing radiation equivalent to more than 7,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs in the Marshall Islands, which has resulted in uninhabitable atolls and extreme environmental degradation in the region. These environmental conditions have been further exacerbated by climate change, in the forms of rising sea-levels and resulting comprised freshwater lenses, destructive storms and extreme droughts. This article seeks to explore the motivational factors pushing and pulling many Pacific Islanders to and from their homes in Micronesia, as well as the discrimination and harsh economic realities, such as homelessness, they encounter when arriving in the Aloha State. There is limited awareness in the US and international circles of these newest Americans and the immense challenges they face. Consequently, this article seeks to add to the burgeoning body of understanding on this complex issue, highlight the hard-won successes of all those impacted by COFA, while considering the rising rates of income inequality amid the ongoing homeless crisis in the US and calls on Congress to further support those that continue to live with the painful legacy of nuclear colonialism in the Pacific.

Download

IN THE WAKE OF WINSTON – CLIMATE CHANGE, MOBILITY AND RESILIENCY IN FIJI

by Rowan Gard and Joeli Veitayaki

When tropical cyclone Winston hit Fiji on 20 February 2016, it became the strongest storm recorde... more When tropical cyclone Winston hit Fiji on 20 February 2016, it became the strongest storm recorded in the southern hemisphere and the second strongest storm ever recorded in the world. Forty-four people died as a result of the superstorm, and the ongoing governmental recovery plans have estimated nearly three billion Fijian dollars (£1.1 billion) in damages. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainima-rama, in a national address following Winston, stated 'almost no part of our nation has been left unscarred'. This paper explores the adaptation measures for extreme weather and climate change in Fiji following Winston, as well as the author's experiences both as a survivor of Winston and as a volunteer aid-relief worker living in Suva, the Fijian capital, at the time of the superstorm. Notably , Winston struck 5 days after Fiji became the first nation to ratify the United Nations Climate deal agreed to by 195 nations in Paris in December 2015. Many Pacific island nations have played a vital role in leading the global dialogue on climate change. In the lead up to the Paris summit, Prime Minister Bainimarama, stressed that 'unless the world acts decisively in the coming weeks to begin addressing the greatest challenge of our age, then the Pacific, as we know it, is doomed.' This is undoubtedly true and a global response is desperately needed, but equally true is the importance for such a reaction to be a cultural and faith-integrated process across multiple scales, ranging from village and community to regional, in scope. One critical aspect of extreme weather and climate change response in the Pacific is migration. However, the impacts of migration include organizing, adaptation and urban poverty, a further source of vulnerability. Consequently, human mobility in response to extreme weather and climate change is far more complex than originally addressed and is deserving of deeper consideration.

Download

A Cost Surface Model of Volcanic Glass Quarrying and Exchange in Hawai'i

by Mark D McCoy, Rowan Gard, and Jennifer Kahn

Journal of …, Jan 1, 2011

Download

A Cost Surface Model of Volcanic Glass Quarrying and Exchange in Hawai‘i

by Jennifer Kahn and Rowan Gard

Download

Rowan Gard

Uploads

Papers by Rowan Gard

Log In