Reflections on research with

indigenous peoples in desert Australia

Dr Digby Race

Principal Research Leader 2012-14

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Climate change adaptation & energy futures

Key research questions:

1. What are the feasible options for adaptation to climate

change in remote Australia that enhance community

liveability & business viability?

2. What are the feasible options for adoption of renewable

energy & energy efficiency measures by households &

businesses in remote Australia (inc. transport systems)?

3 70% area receives <500 mm rainfall/year

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Projected impacts for Central Australia

• Increase in days per year over 35°C from 90 (current) to 132-182

(by 2070) – leading to increased heat stress (heat-related deaths

could increase by as much as 10 times in QLD & the NT by 2100, Hughes &

McMichael 2011);

• Increase in sickness & hospital admissions (& associated lost

days at work/school & additional care required) (health care services

cost $5,000 per person & expected to nearly double by 2050, Hughes &

McMichael 2011);

• Extreme weather events can compound the delivery of health

services – increase demand yet limit provision (flooding & cyclones in

QLD during 2010-11 caused $18 million damage to health services);

Projected impacts for Central Australia (continued ...)

• Impacts on the productivity of agricultural industries (contribution

to Aust’s GDP from agriculture to decline by 20% in 2100, with most decline

concentrated in Northern Aust, Garnaut 2008);

• Significant increase in the required energy for cooling, but a

small reduction in the energy required for heating;

• Costs for maintaining roads & other infrastructure expected to

rise.

6 Crossing the Todd River in Alice Springs (Photos: D. Race & J. Addison)

Exposure in Central Australia

7 Source: J. Addison 2013; graph design: R. Brown

8 … many languages, many nations

‘Closing the Gap’

Gap between Indigenous & non-indigenous Australians

(Aust. per capita GDP = US$62K; US = US$54K; UK = US$46K):

• Child welfare (double child mortality),

• Education (attendance 25% lower),

• Employment (<50% in regular employment),

• Health & wellbeing (life expectancy 10 years lower),

• Community,

• Constitutional recognition.

Economy of remote communities & outstations:

• Distant from markets & service centres,

• Scattered & mobile population,

• Low economies of scale,

• Expensive transport.

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Living cross-cultural in two worlds

• Culture & ‘country’ inextricably linked (healthy country, healthy

culture),

• Family is primary authority,

• Community before self,

• Resources shared among community (c/f private ownership),

• Different priorities for employment, housing & transport,

• Desert peoples have had the most rapid transformation (>1950s),

• Enduring impact of colonisation (recent contact with contrasting

culture),

• Living between different cultures, dual laws

& mixed expectations,

• Dual narrative of resilience & vulnerability.

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Systems approach

Climate change impacts

Climate change adaptation

Energy futures

Futures

by

design

Increasing heat (more

intensive ‘heatwaves’)

affecting community health &

workforce productivity

Increasing extreme

weather events

(flooding, storms)

Increasing operating

costs (for cooling) &

reducing productivity

(agriculture)

Damaging

infrastructure &

limiting transportation

Changes –

incremental &

transformative

Changing work practices

(outdoor activities informed

by current weather)

Adopt energy &

water efficiencies

(desert living)

Increasing use of

affordable renewable

energy – domestic &

business

Invest in more robust

infrastructure –

domestic, business &

transport

Cross-cultural action research

10 steps for an effective research approach:

• Take time to look, listen & learn,

• Engage ‘two-world’ people in research,

• Adopt their ‘livelihood’ framework,

• Frame research around their priorities,

• Research ‘conversation’ that informs & empowers (in their language),

• Follow their cultural rules for interaction,

• Their experiences & ideas need to be valued,

• Allow them to trial, adapt & innovate with ‘solutions’,

• Only the ‘solutions’ they value will be sustained,

• Adopt a ‘two-world’ research approach.

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