Traditional Owners are observing changes to Country. Climate impacts are already affecting sites of significant cultural value across ecosystems. This has implications for ancient lore and Indigenous knowledge of natural systems. The inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in environmental climate science research programs, through free, prior, and informed consent, can support the preservation of Indigenous land management practices and empower future generations to manage Country using both Indigenous and Western knowledge.
This project will bridge Western science and the ancient lore of Australian Indigenous people’s climate knowledge through place-based, and Indigenous-led, co-designed methods. Working in partnership with the Ipima Ikaya Registered Native Title Body Corporate (the Northern Peninsula Area in Queensland) and the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation of K’gari (Fraser Island), two case studies will strengthen communities’ ability to manage and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The case studies will develop resources and capability for communities to better understand, monitor impacts, and plan for climate change, as well as support an Indigenous-led process of understanding climate risks. A second component of the project will complete a six-month cultural orientation with the Mimal Rangers and Warddeken Rangers of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory to explore the sustainability of right-way burning practices in northern Australia.
These initial partnerships will demonstrate approaches to Indigenous-led vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning which can be shared with other Indigenous communities looking to address climate change adaptation challenges.
Want to know more?
Please contact the project lead: Amelia Tandy CSIRO