Project overview
Aboriginal people living in very remote desert communities hold valuable local environmental knowledge that can inform climate adaptation. This project brings together community knowledge, primary health care (PHC) staff observations, citizen science and health service data to better understand the impacts of extreme weather and co-design locally relevant, community-acceptable risk-reduction measures.
Background
People living in very remote desert communities can be particularly vulnerable to climate-related health impacts due to geographic isolation, inadequate infrastructure, limited resources and healthcare access, existing health burdens, and strong dependence on the environment.
Effective climate adaptation requires locally tailored approaches that bring together researchers, health services and communities. By integrating local knowledge and monitoring environmental health risks, this project aims to strengthen understanding of climate-related health impacts and support practical adaptation strategies for very remote desert communities.
Aims
The overall goal of the project is to co-design, implement and evaluate effective adaptation solutions relevant to very remote desert communities.
The project has four key objectives:
- Understand lived experiences: Synthesise the lived and living experiences of Aboriginal people residing in very remote desert Australia.
- Build environmental health awareness: Improve community engagement and environmental health awareness through a citizen science approach.
- Document health service experiences: Better understand staff experiences and observations of the effects of extreme weather on community members and staff working in remote communities.
- Analyse health service use: Examine the association between extreme weather events and primary health care utilisation in arid Australia.
Methods
The project will use a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative research, citizen science and health impact analysis. This will bring together different sources of evidence, including local environmental knowledge, observations from primary health care staff, citizen science data and health service utilisation trends, to build a more comprehensive understanding of climate-related health risks.
Expected outcomes and impact
The project will generate and share site-specific environmental health evidence to support climate adaptation in very remote desert communities. By bringing together community knowledge, research and health service insights, it aims to equip communities and services with locally relevant information to inform practical risk-reduction measures and strengthen preparedness for environmental extremes.
Project team
Project Chief Investigator
Project team members
- Dr Rishu Thakur
- Dr Manoj Bhatta
- Ms Gloria Baliva
- Dr Zubair Ahmed Ratan
- Amy Le Compte
Project Manager
Collaborators
- Professor Alan Cass, Menzies School of Health Research
- Professor Linda Ford, Charles Darwin University
- Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis, University of Canberra
- Associate Professor Deborah Russell, Menzies School of Health Research
- Associate Professor Jamie Ranse, Griffith University
- Dr Abdolvahab Baghbanian, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
- Dr Rosalie Schultz, Ngaanyatjarra Health Service
- Ms Lorna Murakami-Gold, Flinders University
- Dr Prabhakar Veginadu, Charles Sturt University
Funding
This project is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Contact
For more information about the project, contact Associate Professor Supriya Mathew at supriya.mathew@menzies.edu.au.