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Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

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  1. Home
  2. Water
  3. Water policy and resources
  4. National water basins, regions and development
  5. Northern Australia
  6. Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment
  7. Cultural and Social Program

Sidebar first - Water

  • Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment
    • Cultural and Social Program
    • Drainage divisions and river basins
    • Ecological Program
    • Knowledge Base Program
    • Water Resources Program

Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment–Cultural and Social Program

​​​​Northern Australia's water resources and aquatic ecosystems are important to individuals and communities across northern Australia for a range of reasons—cultural, spiritual, recreational, and economic.

The aim of the Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment's Cultural and Social program was to understand the socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices associated with water and how these may be affected by changes in water availability. In order to do this, the Cultural and Social program:

  • identified key Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups and organisations
  • in collaboration with key groups and organisations, identified socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices as these relate to water.

In catchments identified by jurisdictions as likely to experience water resource development, the Cultural and Social program worked with jurisdictions to:

  • identify requirements for specific socio-cultural studies or analyses
  • conduct location-specific case studies to understand socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices as these relate to water including patterns of usage, religious implications, economic activities, and social, and political issues.

The program also identified tools and processes to articulate Indigenous social and economic aspirations with respect to water, and made recommendations for directions and priorities for future research.

The outputs from the Cultural and Social program may be used to inform future decisions regarding the development of water resources in northern Australia. The outcomes of this program may also inform broader natural resource management issues in the north.

Projects

Review of existing cultural and social initiatives and key groups and organisations across northern Australia associated with water

An initial review of projects, research initiatives and water planning processes relevant to cultural values, beliefs and practices was completed in September 2009.

  • Review of existing cultural and social initiatives, and key groups and organisations across northern Australia associated with water - Final report

Identifying tools and processes to capture/articulate Indigenous social and economic aspirations with respect to water in Northern Australia

The objective of this project was to develop knowledge and understanding of Indigenous social, cultural and economic aspirations with respect to land and water management and development in the north of Australia. The project was led by the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA), which produced five reports and a summary and recommendations booklet.

  • Indigenous Livelihoods: Background paper
  • Sustainable Indigenous livelihoods from north Australian land and sea resources: Towards a research and development agenda and implementation strategy
  • Supporting Indigenous Livelihoods: Appropriate Scales of Governance
  • Indigenous knowledge in water planning, management and policy: Cape York Peninsula, QLD Case Studies
  • Capturing Indigenous knowledge in water management processes: Wudjuli Lagoon Case Study, Ngukurr, NT
  • Indigenous Livelihoods: Summaries and Recommendations of Research Reports

Social and Cultural Values project

This project was conducted by CSIRO, and consists of three connected sub-projects, the findings of which increased our understanding of socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices held by various water using groups across northern Australia. The three sub projects were:

  • Subproject 1—Social and cultural values in the planning cycle, which examined practical ways to improve the recognition and incorporation of social and cultural values at each stage of the adaptive water management planning cycle.
    • Indigenous water values and water planning in the upper Roper River, Northern Territory
    • Indigenous water management and water planning in the upper Roper River, Northern Territory: history and implications for contemporary water planning
    • Socio-Cultural Values in the Adaptive Water Planning Cycle
  • Subproject 2—Relative values of water for trade-offs, which sought to gain a better understanding of the relative values of water for different stakeholder groups, the extent to which changes in stream flow and/or water quality could impact on these values and the extent to which different stakeholders are willing to 'trade-off' these values under a range of development scenarios.
    • Resident perceptions of the relative importance of socio-cultural, biodiversity, and commercial values in Australia's Tropical Rivers
  • Subproject 3—Developing management models for Indigenous water strategies
    • Developing alternative management models for Indigenous water plans and strategies in Australia's north

The ecological, cultural and social values associated with aquatic ecosystems in northern Australia

This project produced a desk top literature review that identified the ecological, cultural and social values related to water.

  • Consultation report for the literature review: The relationship between aquatic ecological assets and the protection of cultural and social values associated with water
  • Literature review: The ecological, cultural and social values associated with aquatic ecosystems in northern Australia

Strategic Indigenous Reserves in Wild River catchment areas of the southern Gulf of Carpentaria

This project was run by the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation. The objectives of the project were to:

  • Develop a framework and recommended procedures for allocation of an Indigenous reserve of water in the Wild River catchment areas in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria,
  • Provide recommendations to the Queensland state government,
  • Contribute to development of Strategic Indigenous Reserve policy and practices across northern Australia by working with the Indigenous Water Policy Group (of the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance) and sharing the lessons from case study experiences, process and approaches in non declared wild river areas done interstate, locally and regionally.

See also

  • NAWFA Water Resources program
  • NAWFA Ecological program
  • NAWFA Knowledge Base program​
​
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Last updated: 10 October 2021

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.