Citizen science and engaged visual anthropology for climate justice: a study of the Emergent Ecologies platform

Authors

  • Bruno Tarin PhD in Communication and Culture, Associate Researcher, Behner Stiefel Centre for Brazilian Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
  • Laila Sandroni PhD in Social Sciences, Agriculture and Development, Associate Researcher, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil. Transdisciplinary Academy program lead, Interamerican Institute for Global Change Research, Panama City, Panama https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4632-5284
  • Erika Robb Larkins PhD in Cultural Anthropology, Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Behner Stiefel Centre for Brazilian Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v17n1.2026.59578

Keywords:

Emergent Ecologies, Citizen science, Engaged Research, Visual anthropology, Climate justice

Abstract

Despite advances in explaining the causes of climate change, greater attention is still needed to the unequal distribution of impacts and adaptation modes. This article argues that scientific platforms that integrate social science research, digital media, and socio-environmental activism create spaces for the co-production of knowledge and highlight solutions emerging from affected areas. Critical analyses of the political-epistemological, methodological, and ethical foundations of such initiatives remain scarce. To address this gap, we examine multimodal content from the Emergent Ecologies platform, with a particular focus on the Women in Artisanal Fishing section. Drawing on citizen science and engaged visual anthropology approaches, the analysis is organised around three axes: the visual as co-production; engagement as method; and guidelines and practices as an open field of possibilities. Findings suggest that integrating these approaches can strengthen transformative action toward sustainability and contribute to climate justice.

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Author Biographies

Bruno Tarin, PhD in Communication and Culture, Associate Researcher, Behner Stiefel Centre for Brazilian Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA

PhD and MA in Communication and Culture from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ); BA in International Relations; and an MBA in Social Responsibility and Environmental Marketing.

PhD and MA in Communication and Culture from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ); BA in International Relations; and an MBA in Social Responsibility and Environmental Marketing. Affiliated Researcher at the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies, San Diego State University (USA), where he also served as a Sustainability and Community Engagement Fellow.

Laila Sandroni, PhD in Social Sciences, Agriculture and Development, Associate Researcher, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil. Transdisciplinary Academy program lead, Interamerican Institute for Global Change Research, Panama City, Panama

Laila Sandroni is an Anthropologist and Geographer working on issues related to the use of transdisciplinary science to face socioenvironmental problems and inclusive biodiversity conservation.

 

Erika Robb Larkins, PhD in Cultural Anthropology, Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Behner Stiefel Centre for Brazilian Studies, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA

Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies at San Diego State University. Her current work focuses on environmental racism in low-income communities in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, examining how people are impacted by extreme heat, water pollution, changes to oceans and tides, and ongoing land and real estate speculation.

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Published

2026-04-30

How to Cite

Tarin, B., Sandroni, L., & Larkins, E. R. (2026). Citizen science and engaged visual anthropology for climate justice: a study of the Emergent Ecologies platform . Sustainability in Debate, 17(1), 254–290. https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v17n1.2026.59578

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