@article{article_1687398, title={CLIMATE CHANGE RISK NARRATIVES IN SCIENCE AND FICTION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IPCC REPORTS AND ELIF SHAFAK’S HE ARE THE PEOPLE}, journal={Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi}, volume={12}, pages={674–696}, year={2025}, DOI={10.69878/deuefad.1687398}, author={Yavaş, Nesrin}, keywords={İklim Değişikliği Bilimi, İklim Kurgu, Risk Anlatısı, Risk Toplumu, Çevreci Beşeri Bilimler.}, abstract={Climate change has become a pervasive systemic risk on a global scale, posing significant challenges to conventional modes of understanding and governance. Scientific assessments, particularly those produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), frame climate risk through data-driven approaches. However, these assessments often encounter challenges in articulating the lived experiences and moral imperatives associated with the imminent threat of climate-related catastrophes. This article investigates how Elif Shafak’s climate fiction He Are the People functions as a risk narrative, examining its portrayal of climate-induced societal collapse concerning the risk concepts articulated in IPCC reports. Drawing upon Ulrich Beck’s theory of the "risk society" and insights from the environmental humanities, this study analyzes the narrative’s depiction of climate risks alongside scientific projections. The comparative analysis demonstrates that Shafak’s narrative aligns with scientific assessments concerning critical threats but further enhances this understanding by humanizing and dramatizing the anticipation of catastrophe. This portrayal underscores the psychological, cultural, and ethical dimensions that quantitative reports often fail to encapsulate. The narrative serves as an effective risk communication tool, transforming abstract data into tangible human experiences and thereby enhancing risk perception and facilitating emotional engagement. This article contends that risk narratives of this nature are crucial complements to established scientific discourse, enriching our collective understanding of climate change by embedding it within a framework of lived experiences and moral contexts. This interdisciplinary approach underscores the essential role of narrative in the effective communication and confrontation of global climate risks.}, number={2}, publisher={Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi}