This project commenced in July 2017. Within the context of reducing natural hazard risk and increasing resilience in southern Australia, it focuses explicitly on the risk and resilience priorities of Indigenous communities in southern Australia, the emergency management sector’s priorities for these communities, and how these interests interact. Its intention is to identify where improvements might be made to reduce natural hazard risk and increase social and ecological resilience. This research complements existing and completed CRC projects.

Drawing upon and supporting innovation where it is occurring, this project will engage with natural hazards practitioners and decision-makers (including those of Indigenous and other cultural backgrounds) and Indigenous communities. The project’s intention is to build an inclusive narrative of intercultural hazard risk management which Indigenous peoples and practitioners can buy into. Building trust, capacity and knowledge in these intercultural contexts will reduce risk to Indigenous peoples, the wider community, and the environments in which we live.

This action-research project has three objectives:

• Investigate the hazard priorities of diverse Indigenous communities in southern Australia, and the emergency management sector’s engagement with these communities;
• Conduct collaborative research with Indigenous peoples and sector practitioners to explore how better engagement can be supported, with a focus on the interaction of scientific, Indigenous and other knowledge sources;
• Analyse and report on what this dynamic intercultural context can offer practice and policy, including with respect to the merging of risk and resilience agendas.