Project overview
Extreme heat poses significant health risks for First Nations people living in remote communities, where geographic isolation, poor housing and energy poverty can increase vulnerability. The Remote HEAT project brings together lived experience, local knowledge, citizen science and health data to better understand the impacts of extreme heat and inform locally relevant adaptation responses.
Aims
The project aims to:
- Synthesise lived experiences of heat in rural and remote Australian communities.
- Improve heat health awareness through community-led temperature monitoring.
- Document workforce experiences and observations of extreme weather.
- Examine the relationship between high temperatures, primary health care utilisation and healthcare costs.
Methods
Using a participatory action research approach, the project combines qualitative and quantitative research, citizen science, environmental monitoring, yarning sessions, interviews, climate-health modelling and economic analysis.
Expected outcomes and impact
The project will generate local evidence to inform adaptation responses, strengthen community health and resilience, and support policy and practice relating to heat and extreme weather. Its citizen science approach will also enable remote residents to generate evidence and advocate for change.
Project details
- Duration: 2025–2028
- Funder: Wellcome Trust (311743/Z/24/Z)
- Chief Investigator: Associate Professor Supriya Mathew
- Project Managers: Dr Zubair Ahmed Ratan (NT site) and Amy Le Compte (QLD site)
- Contact: supriya.mathew@menzies.edu.au
Project team
Project Chief Investigator
Project team members
- Dr Rishu Thakur
- Dr Manoj Bhatta
- Ms Gloria Baliva
- Dr Zubair Ahmed Ratan
- Amy Le Compte
- Dr Amil Wickramasinghe
Project Manager
- Dr Zubair Ahmed Ratan (NT Site) & Amy Le Compte (QLD Site)
Collaborators
- Professor Linda Ford, Charles Darwin University
- Associate Professor Deborah Russell, Menzies School of Health Research
- Associate Professor Jamie Ranse, Griffith University
- Professor Melissa Hart, University of Tasmania
- Professor Kerstin Zander, Charles Darwin University
Collaborating organisations
- Central Australian Aboriginal Congress
- Umoona Community Council
- Centacare FNQ
- Australian Red Cross
- Northern Territory Department of Health
- Charles Darwin University
- Griffith University
- University of Tasmania
- Pintupi Homelands Health Service
Related project
Climate preparedness in very remote desert communities
Remote HEAT complements the Desert Climate Project. Both projects bring together local knowledge, community engagement and health data to understand environmental health risks and inform locally relevant responses in remote communities. While Remote HEAT focuses specifically on extreme heat, the Desert Climate Project explores a broader range of environmental extremes and climate-related health risks.
Learn more about the Desert Climate Project →
Learn more
Visit the Wellcome Trust project page for further information.