This transdisciplinary research project aims to document the marginalization of climate scientists and knowledges from tropical countries in the Global South, while highlighting the importance of independent tropical data to support global assessments
Specifically, this project seeks to systematically analyze geographical representation of tropical countries in the Global South in scientific knowledge production on climate science across the research cycle, from data generation to scientific analysis and publication output. Using a postcolonial conceptual frame, we will then identify the causes that explain the geographical imbalances in scientific knowledge production and shed light on the practices and legacies of coloniality in knowledge production. Geographical biases are also apparent in the relatively small number of measurement stations for studying cycling of carbon and water in tropical ecosystems. We will perform quantitative model analysis to assess the importance of these tropical measurements for better understanding the regional and global cycling of carbon and water. Finally, building on the analytical elements of the research, we will identify best practices for inclusive and open climate science.
The project will employ a mixed-methods approach, consisting of large-n quantitative statistical analyses and a pantropical multiple case study including countries from different tropical countries and with different levels of development. The aim of the fieldwork is to explore the local research practices for producing knowledge and identify barriers to open and inclusive climate science.