Introduction
1.3 RESEARCH & DESIGN INTRODUCTION 1.3.1 SITUATION
1.3.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
It is self-evident that glaciers are disappearing as a result of anthropogenic climate change and that it has implications for associated communities. The retreat of Haupapa/Tasman Glacier and the formation of the pro-glacial Tasman Lake most directly affect recreational and business possibilities within Aoraki/ Mt. Cook National Park. This affects the sense of community, identity, and/or livelihoods of employees, tourists, backcountry recreationists, and education groups (Jurt et al., 2015; Wilson, Purdie, Stewart, & Espiner, 2015). D.O.C. and the concessioners that operate within the Park adjust business models and access routes to adapt to the consequences of a changing landscape, not to mitigate impacts. Education about the causes and consequences of climate change is limited to a section in the visitor centre, guides, and a single information board at the Haupapa/Tasman Viewpoint.
This thesis explores the intersection between glacier retreat, psychology, and landscape architecture (see Figure 1-7), making it the first project to do so, and therefore simultaneously creating and addressing its own so-called knowledge gap. The following paragraphs tease out what is known and unknown in these three fields and explains where the opportunities are. Glacier retreat There is strong foundation of research done about glacier retreat by New Zealand universities about the implications of climate change on glaciological processes, tourism, stakeholder perspectives, and businesses on both a national level and focused on Haupapa/Tasman Glacier and Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park (Hennessy et al., 2007; Kaufmann et al., 2002; Kerr, Owens, & Henderson, 2019; Purdie, 2013; Purdie, Anderson, Mackintosh, & Lawson, 2018; Purdie & Kerr, 2019, amongst others). There is also a national initiative, The Deep South Challenge, which aims to enable New Zealanders to respond to climate change through education and engagement (The Deep South Challenge, n.d.). The psychological dimension of the observed changes is absent from the above investigations and there is also no indication of spatial planning or design strategies to mitigate or prepare for the consequences.
The draft Aoraki/Mt. Cook Park Management Plan indicates that the Park is insufficiently engaged with glacier recession and climate change. The current stagnation of the plan shows that stakeholders are dissatisfied with the direction that park management is moving in. The draft Plan has no objectives pertaining to climate change and refers to it only descriptively. For the Tasman Valley, climate change is only a ‘management consideration’:
Psychology As introduced in Section 1.1, the psychological dimension of climate change is gaining traction in scientific research with different research angles catering to different approaches and inquiries. Environmental Melancholia: Psychoanalytic dimensions of engagement, a book by researcher and consultant Renee Lertzman, stands out as the most exhaustive exploration of loss in relation to environmental degradation and has the most thorough description of methods. She and the other authors mentioned previously are not equipped to substantially apply their gained knowledge in space. Lertzman’s recommendations are conversation and information-oriented with a direct call to art and design to get involved (2015).
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Research that directly explores the lived experiences and psychological implications of losing Haupapa/Tasman Glacier as a result of climate change can provide insight into engagement possibilities for the Park itself. Perhaps it can become an example for other communities dealing with similar challenges. Such research and subsequent design investigation opens the door for more meaningful forms of leisure and interaction with changing landscapes.
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Figure 1-7. Intersection between psychology, glacier retreat & landscape architecture.
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“The ongoing and future impacts of climate change within Haupapa Place are likely to be increasingly felt in managing natural values and recreation opportunities” (D.O.C., 2018, p. 129).
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