Pasha Carruthers, BA, 1998
When I started at SFU, I was not ever sure exactly what I wanted to be "when
I grew up", so I just took the courses I was interested in. Archaeology and
ecological biology courses gradually began to dominate. Not so much because
I wanted to be an archaeologist or a biologist, although of course those
thoughts crossed my mind, but because those were the courses that looked at
the 'big picture'. Holistic studies, which bring together all sorts of
information gathered using different technologies and methods, and create an
insight or enhance understanding of an overall system, are what really
intrigue me.
Combining science and arts was facilitated at SFU, but unfortunately it was
not so easy to get employed in the BC conservation arena. I was starting to
wonder
why I had indebted my life with student loans to end up working in the
family restaurant, and strangely enough it was actually the right
place and time to see this great job ad in the paper which required exactly
my qualifications.
When I was hired and given post-graduate training in Fiji for my current
position as a vulnerability and adaptation assessment technical officer for
PICCAP Cook Islands, it was fantastic how so much of my educational
background was applicable to the wide range of climate topics we were given.
Paleo-ecology, climatic factors driving evolution, impacts of the elements
on landscapes (from archaeological reconstruction), and population growth
scenarios, all contributed to learning how to incorporate climate
information with 'real world' situations.
My role in the local climate change organization emphasizes assessment and
development of small-scale projects in key sectors such as agriculture,
water resource management, coastal zone planning, disaster management, and
public health. Interaction with all levels of the community on how climate
change affects these sectors in the different Cook Islands is required to
gather technical and anecdotal baseline information. Findings are made
available to government leaders and the communities of the islands to which
they refer, which will hopefully improve the capacity of these local
communities to understand, anticipate and effectively respond to the
consequences of climate variability today and changes in the future.
With governments continuing to dither on global warming issues, climate
change will be a growing concern. I look forward to the benefits of our
research in the field contributing to the understanding of the world climate
system. I just wish I'd done some GIS courses to help with modelling and
data collection!
![](tetautua.jpg)
Tetautua Windward Cay. Checking for coastal processes such as
erosion/accretion and coral bleaching on a northern Cook Islands atoll
means we get to walk the beaches and snorkel the reefs.
![](cruizing.jpg)
Field transport used in gathering baseline data
on water resources, coastal zones, agriculture, and human health in the
outer islands This is at the highest point of the almost atoll Aitutaki, the
lagoon in background is about to be featured on a BBC program "natural
wonders of the world"
![](well.jpg)
Water resources are one of the areas where adaptation to climate
change is possible, here I'm checking the quality of a shallow groundwater
well on an atoll islet - due to saltwater intrusion it was quite brackish.
![](pres.jpg)
Education and Awareness is an important component of our work.
This is me with a local highschool (Mangaia College) class talking about
what climate change is and how it might impact the Cook Islands in the
future.