By Michelle Pugle
Dr. Bala Nikku, an associate professor of social work, is no stranger to climate-related disasters like wildfires. His work focuses on disaster resilience, which he says is all about personal and community growth.
Nikku comes from an agricultural family in India and has experienced natural disasters. Before coming to teach at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), he facilitated disaster resilience in Nepal after earthquakes and in India after flooding events.
These efforts continue today and have only grown since coming to TRU.
“I quickly realized that Kamloops is a place of refuge for wildfire evacuees and that TRU is the perfect space to grow, flourish and implement my skills in nurturing resilience in individuals and communities experiencing climate-related disasters,” he says.
Now, Nikku is working on co-creating resources for individuals and communities affected by wildfires in B.C. and other disasters, such as cyclones, floods and earthquakes in South Asia.
Collaborations behind community science
Changing climates and globalization have increased the demand for social work professionals to consider deeper perspectives in policy development, including social justice and ecological justice.
Nikku says while social work alone can’t answer all the questions we may have about wildfire management and policy, working with community partners and colleagues across disciplines can pave the way for a more thorough understanding of how to build resilience in the face of ongoing wildfire alerts and evacuations.
For example, Nikku is collaborating with the Happyness Center and Qwelmínte Secwépemc in a project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, New Frontiers in Research Fund.
The Happyness Center Foundation offers social initiative programs for empowerment, recovery and mental health support through an integrated wellness model. This partnership has led to the initiation of Kamloops Alliance for Community Resilient Futures.
Qwelmínte Secwépemc is a collective of leadership from eight Secwépemc communities along with their Indigenous rights and title and natural resource technicians.
“These community partners bring diverse cultural and Indigenous ways of knowing and being to this project,” he says. Nikku’s role as an academic co-researcher is to help build and share the project’s overall vision.
“I do this by learning about and sharing innovative research tools and methodologies with the teams,” he says. Examples include storytelling, narrative analysis and memory work.
“The team members can then choose relevant and appropriate tools by discussing them with the communities we are working with,” he says.
This is what’s known as community science. It’s all about co-creating questions that communities need answers to and finding resilient solutions to disasters like wildfires in B.C., for example.
“In this co-production model, the community owns the data and uses it for healing, recovery, advocacy and lobbying purposes, which are critical tools in envisioning resilient futures,” he says.
Advocating for a resilient future
One of the project’s outcomes is a digital toolkit for disaster-resilience practitioners to use in teaching, research and advocacy efforts.
Ultimately, the communities they work with will gain confidence in generating and conducting science, finding sustainable solutions in their own ways and being able to advocate for themselves. This empowering process can potentially influence disaster management policies in B.C. while prioritizing community interests and strengths.
“When the communities take ownership of their issues and are not passive beneficiaries, I see that resilient futures are real. This is my goal as a social worker, academic, researcher and practitioner. I derive immense motivation to continue my work at TRU and find my resilience in this process,” says Nikku.
Wildfires and disaster management are critical issues across the globe. TRU Wildfire is our commitment to a better future. Learn more at tru.ca/wildfire.
