Can a Science Week empower scientists for conservation advocacy?

Abstract

Scientists feel a growing need to advocate for knowledge-driven policies to address climate change and biodiversity loss, yet few feel empowered to do so. During the Neretva Science Week (NSW) 2023, an international group of scientists conducted research on the threatened Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and had the opportunity to engage with activists and journalists. We used a questionnaire to investigate the perspectives of these scientists on public engagement, scientific advocacy, ecological grief, and perceived political empowerment. To assess how these views might be influenced by participation in the NSW, we administered the questionnaire at the beginning of the NSW, immediately after, and three months following the event. We found high levels of ecological grief and moderate levels of perceived political empowerment. Scientists working outside of academia reported higher levels of empowerment, and local scientists had a more positive attitude towards being involved in decision-making about ecosystem management. Attitudes towards scientific advocacy were already mostly positive before the NSW and did not improve during the week, but most participants reported being motivated to increase their public engagement after the NSW. Although unlikely to change deeply rooted beliefs about the role of science, events such as the NSW can play a critical role in bridging the gap between academia and advocacy.