Beyond Recovery: Rethinking Climate Governance for Small Island States
King's Fellow Glenville Mcleod reflects on his time presenting at the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research Conference, his research on environmental governance in Jamaica and how the King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme has made this possible.
Glenville Mcleod
When we think about hurricanes in the Caribbean, we often think about the immediate devastation they leave behind: damaged homes, disrupted communities, and economic losses. However, what if hurricanes are more than natural disasters? What if they are also a test of how well our institutions govern, adapt, and prepare for an increasingly uncertain future?
These were the questions at the centre of my presentation at the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS) Conference, where I had the opportunity to share my research on climate change, environmental governance, and disaster management in Jamaica. Presenting this work to an international audience of researchers and practitioners was an invaluable experience. It provided the opportunity not only to receive constructive feedback on my research but also to engage in meaningful discussions about the shared challenges facing climate-vulnerable countries across the Commonwealth. As a King's Fellow on The King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme PhD pathway, the conference represented much more than an opportunity to present a paper. It demonstrated how the programme creates opportunities for researchers to contribute to global conversations while ensuring that locally grounded research informs international debates.
Looking beyond disaster response
My research examines environmental governance in Jamaica, and one of the central ideas I explored during the conference is that hurricanes should no longer be viewed as isolated disasters but rather as a “normalized crisis”. This particular view is based on the fact that climate change has altered the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events; as such, these events are becoming an expected feature of life rather than rare exceptions. This raises an important question: if hurricanes are becoming increasingly predictable, should our governance systems continue to treat them as temporary emergencies? Instead of focusing solely on disaster response and rapid recovery, I argue that environmental governance must become an ongoing process of adaptation, learning, and institutional coordination. In other words, resilience should be built before disasters occur, not only after they have happened.
Challenging conventional thinking
One of the most rewarding aspects of attending the conference was the opportunity to discuss the idea of a "normalised crisis" because traditionally, disaster management assumes that societies experience a disruption, recover, and then return to normal. However, for many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), climate-related disasters are becoming so frequent that there is no longer a meaningful "normal" to return to. Instead, recurring hurricanes continually expose weaknesses within governance systems. During the conference discussions, I explored how repeated recovery efforts can unintentionally reproduce vulnerability. Governments are understandably under pressure to restore operations quickly because livelihoods, investment, and national income depend on it. Yet the urgency to rebuild often leaves little room to reconsider whether existing development models remain sustainable under changing climatic conditions.
This perspective generated engaging conversations with researchers working in different regions who recognized similar patterns within their own countries. Although the contexts differed, the underlying governance challenges balancing economic recovery with long-term resilience were remarkably similar.
Learning beyond the presentation
One of the greatest benefits of attending an international conference lies in the conversations that happen outside the presentation room. Throughout the conference, I had the opportunity to engage with scholars researching environmental governance, sustainable and regenerative tourism, and climate adaptation from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. These discussions challenged me to think differently about my own work while highlighting new theoretical perspectives and practical approaches that I can incorporate into my research.
Perhaps most importantly, the conference reinforced that climate change cannot be addressed by any single discipline or institution. Effective responses require collaboration between governments, researchers, communities, industry, and international organisations.
That message resonated strongly with my own research, which argues that environmental governance requires greater integration across tourism planning, environmental management, disaster risk reduction, and climate adaptation. Hearing similar themes emerge from researchers working in different parts of the world gave me greater confidence that my findings speak to broader international debates.
The value of the King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme
None of this would have been possible without the support of the King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme. The fellowship has created opportunities to engage with international academic networks, present research to global audiences, and develop collaborations that strengthen both my research and professional development. It has also encouraged me to think about the broader impact of my work beyond academia.
As researchers, it is easy to become focused on publishing papers or completing dissertations. However, the Fellowship is a constant reminder that research should also contribute to informing public policy and solving real-world problems.
For me, that means producing research that can support stronger environmental governance and climate resilience not only in Jamaica but across SIDS that face many of the same environmental and economic challenges.
What’s next?
The feedback I received during the conference will directly influence the next stages of my doctoral research and academic development. More pointedly, the discussions helped refine several aspects of my thinking, particularly around institutional coordination, adaptive governance, and the relationship between economic development and climate resilience.
As climate change continues to reshape the realities faced by Commonwealth countries, opportunities for collaboration have never been more important. Conferences such as ATLAS provide spaces where researchers can challenge assumptions, share ideas, and build partnerships that extend well beyond the conference itself.
Looking back, attending the conference was not simply about presenting a research paper. It was about becoming part of a wider community committed to understanding and addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Thanks to the King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme, I have been able to contribute to that conversation while continuing to develop research that I hope will help strengthen environmental governance and climate resilience for Jamaica and other SIDS.
Learn more about The King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme.