Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment - Cultural and Social program
Northern Australia's water resources and aquatic ecosystems are important to individuals and communities across northern Australia for a range of reasons –cultural, spiritual, recreational, and economic.
The aim of the Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment's Cultural and Social program is to understand the socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices associated with water and how they may be affected by changes in water availability. In order to do this, the Cultural and Social program will:
- Develop a region-wide demographic, cultural and economic baseline for each catchment
- Identify key Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups and organisations
- In collaboration with key groups and organisations, identify socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices as they relate to water.
In catchments identified by jurisdictions as likely to experience water resource development, the Cultural and Social program will work with jurisdictions to:
- Identify requirements for specific socio-cultural studies or analyses
- Conduct location-specific case studies to understand socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices as they relate to water including patterns of usage, religious implications, economic activities, and social, and political issues.
The program will also identify tools and processes to articulate Indigenous social and economic aspirations with respect to water, and will make recommendations for directions and priorities for future research.
The outputs from the Cultural and Social program will be integrated with those from the Water Resources and Ecological programs in the Knowledge Base, to be useful to decision-makers. The outcomes of this program will also inform broader natural resource management issues in the north.
Assessment news
An initial review of projects, research initiatives and water planning processes relevant to cultural values, beliefs and practices will be completed in August 2009. Input to this review will be sought from a wide range of stakeholders across northern Australia. This review will ensure the assessment doesn’t duplicate existing or in-progress work.
Contact us
For further queries or to receive updates, email northern.assessment@environment.gov.au or phone 02 6274 1111.
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