Bridging the COSMOS: How the inclusion of and collaboration with Faith-Based Understandings and Indigenous Knowledges can transform the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise

Adapting to and mitigating climate change require global cooperation and participation from all mindsets and belief systems, including the traditionally western weather, water, and climate enterprise (WWCE), faith-based understandings (FBUs), and Indigenous Knowledges (IKs). Epistemological differences and language barriers between knowledges and the historical marginalization and exploitation of IKs by western ideologies and some FBUs make coproduction and relationship building challenging.

Acknowledging their historical tensions and distinctions, there is meaningful overlap between the WWCE, FBUs, and IKs on environmental stewardship, justice, and mental health. This article highlights three themes at the intersection of FBUs, IKs, and environmentalism: 1) increasing faith-based and Indigenous community resilience to weather extremes; 2) developing kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) and collegiate weather, water, and climate education that weaves FBUs and IKs; and 3) increasing communication flows between weather, water, and climate science, and faith-based and Indigenous communities.