Name: Design Research Society Conference 2026
Start: 2026-06-08T00:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-06-12T00:00:00+02:00

Abstract

Design as a mediator: bridging traditional cosmologies and scientific knowledge for climate change adaptation through value-led design

Sub-Saharan Africa is at the frontline of climate change, with impacts particuarly acute in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). This study examines how value-led design can mediate between traditional cosmologies and scientific climate knowledge to strengthen adaptation. Focusing on pastoralist communities in Kenya’s Maasai Mara region, it applies the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) as a participatory reflection tool.

Findings show how value-led design can advance equity by embedding community voices and centring values in decision-making, contributing to broader debates on design’s role in fostering systemic transitions amid climate uncertainty, safeguarding against maladaptation. It presents the MLP as a tool for value-led design, connecting abstract climate data and local knowledge, enabling communities to reinterpret climate projections through cultural worldviews and identifying locally grounded adaptation strategies.

By following this method researchers and practitioners can support communities to imagine, negotiate, and sustain equitable, regenerative futures that are scientifically informed and grounded in cultural values.

Group of people standing together on green grass

SEI and UNEP back researchers in Africa to address climate adaptation gap

Feature / Findings from RAIA-funded projects are expected to support governments in Africa in integrating adaptation measures into their budget processes

12 June 2026 / About Adaptation