June 1, 2026
When James Duggie describes Western Australia’s climate adaptation efforts, he speaks with the grounded clarity of someone who has spent years navigating both the science and the systems that surround it. As a senior member of the Climate Adaptation Branch within WA’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, James is responsible for helping agencies across the state understand climate risk and, crucially, act on it.
It is work that has grown in ambition and complexity over recent years. WA’s Climate Adaptation Strategy, sets out a clear and comprehensive program to help government and community prepare for a changing climate. But preparing for the future requires clear, trusted information, and the ability to translate climate science into meaningful decisions. This is where James says the NESP Climate Systems Hub and the Interjurisdictional Knowledge Broker Network have been invaluable.
“Our branch is both a receiver of the Hub’s work and a partner in providing some of it,” James says. “I’ve always been very supportive of the NESP Climate Systems Hub Knowledge Broker Network as it clearly adds significant value to the research. It brings in dedicated experts with the skills and the time needed to share information well.”
James shares how WA has benefited from a dedicated capacity for climate science communication. As part of their Climate Science Initiative, WA invested in a Climate Science Communication Officer, a role directly informed by regular engagement with the Hub. The role includes interpreting research findings and sharing them across government and other stakeholders – tailored to respective stakeholders.
“We’ve seen a much broader range of participation in webinars and events, and engagement in important research topics such as improved understanding of marines heatwaves, because our Climate Science Communications Officer, as a part of their role, works closely as a knowledge broker for the Hub, and can reach out to stakeholders across the state,” he explains.
“Having dedicated resources really does make a difference.”
Through partnerships with Murdoch University and the NSW Government’s NARCliM team, WA is producing high resolution downscaled regional climate projections. But the raw data, James notes, is only useful to a limited number of technically proficient users. Turning it into meaningful, accessible information requires translation, and that translation requires people.
“That understanding underpins why we sought funding for our Climate Science Communication Officer,” he says. The officer now participates both as a Hub knowledge broker and in other national climate coordination efforts, an arrangement James describes as mutually beneficial.
While James acknowledges the broader national challenges of coordinating climate action efforts, especially across jurisdictions with different histories, budgets and priorities – he keeps his focus on what is working. The Hub, he says, has played a critical role in lifting the consistency and accessibility of climate science across Australia. And the Knowledge Brokers sit at the heart of that success.
“They facilitate more effective discussions with end users,” he says. “They help interpret the findings and communicate them in ways that are more accessible and more usable.”
For James, the value is clear: better connections, better understanding, and a better equipped state, and nation, ready to make informed decisions in an uncertain climate future.
Find out more about the Hub’s Knowledge Brokers >
Find out more about WA’s climate programs >