Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change: the Arabana, South Australia
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Community based adaptation to climate change: the Arabana, South Australia Final Report Melissa Nursey-Bray, Deane Fergie, Veronica Arbon, Lester-Irabinna Rigney, Rob Palmer, John Tibby, Nick Harvey and Lucy Hackworth COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: THE ARABANA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA The University of Adelaide AUTHORS Melissa Nursey-Bray – The University of Adelaide Deane Fergie – The University of Adelaide Veronica Arbon – The University of Adelaide Lester-Irabinna Rigney – The University of Adelaide Rob Palmer – AuConsulting Adelaide John Tibby – The University of Adelaide Nick Harvey – The University of Adelaide Lucy Hackworth – The University of Adelaide Published by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility ISBN: 978-1-925039-63-4 NCCARF Publication 92/13 © 2013 The University of Adelaide and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the authors. Please cite this report as: Nursey-Bray, M, Fergie, D, Arbon, V, Rigney, L, Palmer, R, Tibby, J, Harvey, N, Hackworth, L 2013 Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change: The Arabana, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, pp. 133. Acknowledgement This work was carried out with financial support from the Australian Government (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF). The role of NCCARF is to lead the research community in a national interdisciplinary effort to generate the information needed by decision-makers in government, business and in vulnerable sectors and communities to manage the risk of climate change impacts. Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Commonwealth or NCCARF, and neither the Commonwealth nor NCCARF accept responsibility for information or advice contained herein. Material in ‘Community based adaptation to climate change: The Arabana’ is made available on the understanding the authors are presenting results from fieldwork, literature review, and document analysis. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this report the authors provide no warranties and make no representations that the information contained in it is complete. The authors expressly disclaim liability for any loss, however caused and whether due to negligence or otherwise, arising directly or indirectly from the use or reliance on information contained in the report by any person. © Cover image and photos provided by: Melissa Nursey-Bray, Rob Palmer, David Wall, Deane Fergie, Lucy Hackworth and Veronica Arbon. All photographs are the property of the owner and are not to be reproduced without written permission and correct attribution. Preface “There can be no ‘one size fits all’ approach to working with communities in relation to adaptation strategies, every community is unique and has varying strengths and weaknesses...” (Green et al. 2009) “It’s very important. There is a lot of things that are affecting our country at the moment, but climate change is the one, the major one that we need to know about besides everything else, this one can change our country, this one can change who we are...” (Aaron Stuart, 2012) “Arabana are strong, we’ll be resolute, whatever we need to do we will do...” (Syd Strangways 2012) TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Peoples and climate change, Australia ................ 6 2. METHODS .......................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Introduction: research objective and aims ....................................................... 8 2.2 The Research Team ....................................................................................... 8 2.3 The Arabana ................................................................................................. 10 2.4 The conceptual frame: assessing vulnerability and resilience for adaptation – why do it? ...................................................................................................... 12 2.4.1 Vulnerability............................................................................................ 12 2.4.2 Resilience .............................................................................................. 13 2.4.3 How do we assess vulnerability/resilience? ............................................ 13 2.5 Ensuring Ethical Research ............................................................................ 16 2.6 Capturing inter-disciplinarity .......................................................................... 18 2.7 Communications ........................................................................................... 18 2.8 Terms of Reference ...................................................................................... 20 2.9 Summary Reflection ...................................................................................... 21 3. STAYING CONNECTED: ARABANA CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATION .............. 22 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Method .......................................................................................................... 22 3.2.1 Social sustainability and adaptive capacity ............................................. 22 3.2.2 Adding a dynamic and elemental approach to social practice ................. 23 3.2.3 Adding attention to spatial and temporal scale ....................................... 24 3.3 Results: analysis of long duré change and response ..................................... 27 3.3.1 Deep prehistory – climate change and human range .............................. 27 3.3.2 Geographic range and connection to country ......................................... 27 3.3.3 Social organisation as adaptation ........................................................... 28 3.4 ‘Short change’ processes .............................................................................. 30 3.4.1 Tectonic change and dynamic response from the late 1850s to 2012 .... 30 3.5 The present and into the future: wellness, governance and infrastructure ..... 34 3.5.1 Governance............................................................................................ 34 Community based adaptation to climate change i 3.5.2 Wellness and resilience .......................................................................... 37 3.5.3 Information and communications technology and the Arabana ............... 41 3.6 Summary Assessment of Arabana Adaptive Capacity ................................... 47 4. “SEEING CHANGE”: RESULTS OF THE RISK PERCEPTION, VALUES ANALYSIS AND ADAPTATION STUDY ............................................................ 48 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 48 4.2 Methodological Approach: a Fusion .............................................................. 48 4.2.1 Process .................................................................................................. 49 4.3 The science: climate change for Arabana country and places Arabana people live ................................................................................................................ 51 4.3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................ 51 4.3.2 Uncertainty: a key theme ........................................................................ 52 4.3.3 Climate projections: central region .......................................................... 53 4.3.4 Climate projections: population centres (Adelaide, Darwin and Alice Springs) .................................................................................................. 55 4.3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 56 4.4 Identified risks relevant to climate change ..................................................... 59 4.4.1 Summary of perceived climate impacts .................................................. 59 5. BUILDING ADAPTATION .................................................................................. 74 5.1 Need for adaptation ....................................................................................... 74 5.2 General vision ............................................................................................... 75 5.3 Adaptation options......................................................................................... 75 5.4 The Arabana climate change adaptation strategy .......................................... 78 5.5 Summary of risk perception/adaptation research ........................................... 80 6. THE NEXT STEP: IMPLEMENTING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION FOR THE ARABANA ................................................................................................. 81 6.1 Preserving/managing/accessing water .........................................................