Jessica Weir

Dr Jessica Weir

Researcher
About
Dr Jessica Weir

Jessica Weir is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Culture and Society, University of Western Sydney. Jessica’s research engages with the social-cultural dimensions of environmental issues, and her publications span water management, bushfire aware planning, native title, weeds and climate change. Jessica has held positions Senior Research Fellow at the University of Canberra and Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) where she founded the AIATSIS Land and Water Research Centre. Jessica is an editorial board member of the Routledge Environmental Humanities Book Series, and a Visiting Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University.

Project leadership

There is a significant knowledge deficit concerning how science and other forms of knowledge are used and integrated into emergency management policy and practice, leading to incorrect and counterproductive misunderstandings. The emphasis on the value of scientific knowledge within the natural hazards sector – and particularly in regards to risk mitigation – is legitimate. However, to this point, this valuing of science has not been accompanied by research into the actual opportunities and challenges of using science in policy and practice.

This project has produced a number of journal articles documenting issues related to scientific uncertainty in bushfire and flood risk mitigation.

This project considered the challenges and opportunities arising out of engagements between Indigenous peoples and natural hazard and land management government agencies in southern Australia. The majority of this activity has focused on cultural burning. The research team undertook qualitative research, primarily through forming partnerships with key practitioners working in this space and undertaking research activities that iteratively learnt from these partnerships. The shared motivations held by some Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals to form collaborative partnerships are challenged by their operating context, including a lack of trust, bureaucratic constraints, tokenism, racism, and a lack of resources. This project finds that the sector needs to move beyond statements of support to develop specific policies and programs that demonstrably grow opportunities for Indigenous engagement and partnership, and provides suggestions as to what these policies may be.
31 Aug 2020
Key findings: Cultural or traditional burning requires takingthe long view about how to live with...
27 Aug 2019
We are investigating the existing and emerging engagements between the natural hazards sector and...
Intercultural collaboration on Aboriginal country
19 Sep 2018
This innovative 3-year research project explores cultural difference and similarity to gain...
Scientific knowledge Q and A
30 Jun 2017
Scientific knowledge is not an objective 'truth' that provides answers for risk mitigation. Many...
Hazards, culture and aboriginal peoples in southern Australia
30 Jun 2017
This new action‐research project will:Investigate the hazard priorities of diverse Aboriginal...
Timothy Neale Conference Poster 2016
12 Aug 2016
Two case studies from the north and south Australia examine how science is being used to change how...
Navigating scientific uncertainty in bushfire and flood risk mitigation
18 Aug 2015
Attempts to anticipate and mitigate natural hazards have generated a diverse field of natural...

Resources credited

Typesort descending Released Title Download Key Topics
Presentation-Slideshow 07 Jul 2017 Lightning presentation: hazards, culture and indigenous communities PDF icon Save (698.88 KB) indigenous communities, resilience, risk management
Presentation-Slideshow 07 Sep 2017 Science is critical but it is not everything: our findings PDF icon Save (2.12 MB) governance, planning, policy
29 Jun 2017 Cultural burning PDF icon Save (5.35 MB) communities, indigenous communities, prescribed burning
Presentation-Slideshow 17 Apr 2018 Hazards, culture and Indigenous communities PDF icon Save (1.76 MB) emergency management, indigenous communities, multi-hazard
Presentation-Slideshow 09 Jul 2019 The ‘evidence gap’ in risk mitigation PDF icon Save (1.84 MB) diversity and inclusion, economics, planning
Presentation-Slideshow 24 Sep 2019 Hazards, culture and Indigenous communities PDF icon Save (11.6 MB) indigenous communities, multi-hazard
External Resource 31 Jul 2020 Bushfire lessons from cultural burns fire, indigenous communities, land management
HazardNoteEdition 13 Jul 2021 Cultural burning in southern Australia: collaborations based on Indigenous leadership PDF icon Save (340 KB) indigenous communities, resilience, risk management
Presentation-Audio-Video 13 Jul 2021 Cultural burning in southern Australia video: collaborations based on Indigenous leadership File Save (0 bytes) indigenous communities, resilience, risk management
Presentation-Slideshow 19 Mar 2014 Scientific diversity and uncertainty - bushfire and flood risk mitigation PDF icon Save (241.15 KB) fire, flood, risk management
Presentation-Slideshow 10 Apr 2015 Scientific Diversity 2015 NSW RAF Presentation PDF icon Save (843.34 KB) mitigation, planning, policy
Presentation-Slideshow 11 Sep 2015 Science in Motion PDF icon Save (1.44 MB) governance, policy
HazardNoteEdition 11 Jan 2016 Raising the bar on risk reduction policy and planning PDF icon Save (144.04 KB) governance, planning, policy
Presentation-Slideshow 30 Aug 2016 The social life of science: tales from Victoria and the Northern Territory - Jessica Weir PDF icon Save (1.49 MB) decision making, fire, policy
Presentation-Slideshow 18 Apr 2017 What to do with uncertain science: practitioner experiences from Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory PDF icon Save (1.48 MB) governance, planning, policy
Presentation-Slideshow 18 Apr 2017 Hazards, Culture and Indigenous Communities PDF icon Save (273.08 KB) indigenous communities, resilience, risk management

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