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Tropical river management and water policy: Indigenous interests
The Issue
Aboriginal people comprise a vital part of the north Australian community and are very significant land owners. Their common law rights to land, water and aquatic resources, and customary resource management practices, require that researchers and natural resource managers develop collaborative approaches to research and management. Land & Water Australia has recognised that its new Tropical Rivers Program needs to incorporate Aboriginal river-related interests, values and aspirations. To ensure equity in access to research funding it is critical that Aboriginal organisations are aware of the Program’s existence, scope and intent, and are confident that it seeks to address their research needs.
CSIRO Research
Commissioned as a foundational study for the development of Land & Water Australia's new Tropical River's Program, CSIRO's research was conducted on behalf of the North Australian Aboriginal and Islander Land & Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) during 2005. The project aimed to articulate the Tropical Rivers Program to Indigenous people across the region, promote equity in access to research funding, and develop Indigenous-led approaches and collaborations to the future management of tropical river systems. It identified and prioritised the research needs of Indigenous people across the Program area. Linkages were made with other projects being operated by NAILSMA, the Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Savannas Management (CRC-TSM), and Land & Water Australia's socio-economic scoping study. The project was completed in April 2006.
In follow up work underway with NAILSMA, CSIRO is assisting in the development of a north Australian Indigenous Water Policy Group. CSIRO and other researchers will provide information to the water policy group and Indigenous communities and map out a research program for further work on Indigenous interests and water.
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Collaborators
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