ABSTRACT
To date, much progress has been made in the field of disaster risk reduction (DRR) including climate change adaptation (CCA) in developing scientific knowledge and assessments, technical solutions and technological fixes as disaster response and preparedness mechanisms or adaptation measures. The recognition of the importance of local knowledge and practices to improve DRR including CCA represents a welcome shift away from the situation when such knowledge was largely ignored, or worse, discredited as superstition. Blending volcanology with traditional knowledge for disaster preparedness planning: participatory workshops with communities in Ambae Island, Vanuatu, helped communities better understand scientific warnings and volcanic monitoring tools, and at the same time, preserve traditional knowledge related to volcanic eruption warning signs, and cultural practices related to volcanoes. The agenda for the future is to ensure integration of local knowledge and science through appropriate collaborative research processes involving multiple stakeholders, to enable local knowledge to play a key role in increasing the resilience of local communities.
