Walking together for climate knowledge, resilience, and futures
The Climate Systems Hub builds on the work from the Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub in close partnership with Indigenous peoples across Australia to bring together Indigenous knowledge and Western climate science. Our collaborations honour tens of thousands of years of cultural knowledge about weather, seasons, environmental change, and caring for Country. This knowledge deepens and enriches our scientific understanding of Australia’s climate system.
We recognise that meaningful climate research must centre the voices, priorities, and leadership of Indigenous communities. Our partnership approach is built on respect, cultural safety, long-term relationships, and shared decision-making.
Indigenous knowledge at the heart of climate research
Indigenous communities hold detailed, place-based knowledge developed through deep cultural connection to Country. This knowledge provides invaluable insight into climate variability, environmental change, and adaptation challenges across Australia.
Through the National First Peoples Platform on Climate Change, Traditional Owners provide expert guidance on research priorities, project co-design, and cultural protocols, ensuring ethical and culturally safe approaches to climate research.
One of the most prominent efforts of the National First Peoples Platform on Climate Change has been the National First Peoples Gatherings on Climate Change.
By bringing Indigenous knowledge together with climate modelling and scientific research, we create a more holistic and locally relevant understanding of our changing climate and the pathways to resilience.
Collaborative, Indigenous-led research design
Our research is co-created with Indigenous partners from the earliest stages. Community priorities, cultural knowledge, and lived experience guide the research direction, methods, and translation of results.
Our Indigenous Partnership Team is led by our Senior Indigenous Facilitator, Damian Morgan-Bulled. Damian sits on all senior Hub leadership committees, ensuring Indigenous perspectives shape governance and research planning across the Hub. This role also contributes to the national Indigenous Facilitation Network, which helps maintain strong, culturally grounded engagement across the program.
Cultural safety, respect, and ethical practice
All our partnerships are grounded in cultural integrity and ethical research principles, including:
- Free, Prior and Informed Consent
- Protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)
- Culturally safe and community-led processes
- Transparent, long-term collaboration
These principles ensure knowledge is shared respectfully and used appropriately, and that communities maintain control over how their knowledge is represented.
Relationships in action
Our work with Indigenous communities extends far beyond a single project. We prioritise long-term, two-way relationships that support ongoing collaboration, foster trust, and reflect shared goals for Country and community wellbeing.
This includes regular engagement, community visits, participation in local and national gatherings, and sustained partnership-building through the Indigenous Facilitation Network.
Weaving knowledge systems for climate resilience
By weaving Indigenous knowledge systems with advanced climate science, we develop more robust, culturally relevant, and community-informed climate insights. This integrated approach supports adaptation planning, strengthens community resilience, and ensures that research outcomes reflect the diversity of knowledge systems that shape Australia’s environmental stewardship.