Project Details
Description
This is a UTas led project being funded by a larger Uni of Canberra led NHMRC grant.
This grant builds on an existing project to develop an Indigenous wellbeing framework with the community. The HEAL funds would enable the research team and community members to apply that framework to understand the impacts of climate change on community wellbeing. This kind of community-led wellbeing framework development and application can have substantial benefits for community members through a heightened sense of empowerment (Smith, 1999; Sollis, 2023). Furthermore, community ownership of the framework and its application to climate impacts can support the community in developing and adopting appropriate adaptation measures. While the aims of this project are principally to support the Tebrakunna community and their wellbeing aspirations, we will also seek to use this research to have influence and impact more broadly by – pending approval of MTWAC – publishing the findings and sharing them through the HEAL community and our networks including the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub and the Climate Systems Hub. Infographics and artwork forms of research outputs will further support knowledge sharing with stakeholders and community members. The aim of this grant is to apply a culturally-appropriate, and community-created wellbeing framework to better understand how climate change is impacting wellbeing so the community can adapt to environmental changes and maintain wellbeing. As project leads, MTWAC can use the climate-wellbeing impacts analysis to develop an adaptation plan to mitigate the wellbeing impacts of climate change.
In addition to strengthening our approach to developing a wellbeing framework, this project will also examine the wellbeing impacts of climate change in tebrakunna Country. Climate change is impacting both land and Sea Country around tebrakunna in unprecedented ways. The northeast coast is a global hotspot for ocean warming which is increasing the presence of pest species (including the long-spined sea urchin), posing major threats to marine stocks (including culturally prized abalone) and cultural practices (such as shell-collecting and stringing). On land, seasonal indicators for practices such as cultural burning and food harvesting are changing rapidly, forming a barrier to cultural practices that community members identify as sources of wellbeing. Therefore, given the extent to which climate change is affecting the region, it is important to examine how climate change is impacting the areas of wellbeing identified as important for the community.
This grant builds on an existing project to develop an Indigenous wellbeing framework with the community. The HEAL funds would enable the research team and community members to apply that framework to understand the impacts of climate change on community wellbeing. This kind of community-led wellbeing framework development and application can have substantial benefits for community members through a heightened sense of empowerment (Smith, 1999; Sollis, 2023). Furthermore, community ownership of the framework and its application to climate impacts can support the community in developing and adopting appropriate adaptation measures. While the aims of this project are principally to support the Tebrakunna community and their wellbeing aspirations, we will also seek to use this research to have influence and impact more broadly by – pending approval of MTWAC – publishing the findings and sharing them through the HEAL community and our networks including the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub and the Climate Systems Hub. Infographics and artwork forms of research outputs will further support knowledge sharing with stakeholders and community members. The aim of this grant is to apply a culturally-appropriate, and community-created wellbeing framework to better understand how climate change is impacting wellbeing so the community can adapt to environmental changes and maintain wellbeing. As project leads, MTWAC can use the climate-wellbeing impacts analysis to develop an adaptation plan to mitigate the wellbeing impacts of climate change.
In addition to strengthening our approach to developing a wellbeing framework, this project will also examine the wellbeing impacts of climate change in tebrakunna Country. Climate change is impacting both land and Sea Country around tebrakunna in unprecedented ways. The northeast coast is a global hotspot for ocean warming which is increasing the presence of pest species (including the long-spined sea urchin), posing major threats to marine stocks (including culturally prized abalone) and cultural practices (such as shell-collecting and stringing). On land, seasonal indicators for practices such as cultural burning and food harvesting are changing rapidly, forming a barrier to cultural practices that community members identify as sources of wellbeing. Therefore, given the extent to which climate change is affecting the region, it is important to examine how climate change is impacting the areas of wellbeing identified as important for the community.
| Acronym | (UTas led) |
|---|---|
| Status | Finished |
| Effective start/end date | 19/05/25 → 30/04/26 |