Partnerships

The UK and Australia face unique climate challenges rooted in both physical and socio-political dynamics. This project addresses these challenges by leveraging interdisciplinary expertise and community engagement from both the Sydney Environment Institute and the University of Edinburgh. By bringing together their respective strengths, the initiative aims to ground sustainability transformations in comprehensive knowledge spanning science, policy, society, and the humanities. 

The project seeks to identify methodologies, policies, and practices that support sustainable outcomes across multiple levels of governance. A key focus is on amplifying community voices and promoting place-based wellbeing for all species through collaborative research and workshops. 

The project aims to develop innovative, community-focused approaches to energy transitions, fostering cross-cultural learning and practical strategies for biodiversity preservation and rewilding. It will explore new forms of environmental governance and democratic innovation, enhancing our understanding of the role of cultural narratives and storytelling in ecological transformation.

Partners

• Sydney Environment Institute 

• University of Edinburgh 

Project Team

University of Sydney: Professor David Schlosberg, Professor Danielle Celermajer, Professor Carolyn Hogg, Associate Professor Amanda Tattersall

University of Edinburgh: Dr Hanna Boast, Professor Elizabeth Bomberg, Dr Krithika Srinivasan, Dr Kirsten Jenkins

This project focused on the organisation of community networks of support in the wake of shock climate events. Working with partner organisations in the Northern Rivers, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions, the project examined the community groups who coordinated information, labour, and funding in response to the 2019-20 bushfire crisis and the multiple major floods between 2020 and 2022.

The primary objective was to address two significant risks that can undermine community responses to disasters– the loss or underutilisation of community knowledge immediately after disasters and in preparation for future shock events; and the erosion of community trust and support for local and state institutions, which can impede effective disaster response and recovery.

This project investigated whether local council and state support for spontaneous community organising would lower both the immediate risks of future disaster events and the longer-term risk of delegitimised formal institutions. 

It identified barriers such as the disconnect between government and agency decision-making and grassroots knowledge, advocating for investment in social infrastructure and building cohesive community relationships. 

Key recommendations included: 

• supporting self-organised community networks 

• enhancing collaboration between emergency management and community organisations through integrating local knowledges in disaster management processes 

• promoting social cohesion

• providing recovery support and mental health training, and 

• addressing climate change challenges.

Key outputs:

• Stories are the Toolkit vignette series (magazine collection and podcast series), used as a peer-learning resource to share local knowledges

• Report: Empowering Communities, Harnessing Local Knowledges: Self-Organising Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction Findings

• The Northern Rivers Regional Alliance, an emerging coordinating body of 10 community groups and organisations at a regional scale in the Northern Rivers region, designed to break down siloed knowledge and enhance peer-learning.

Partners

• Plan C

• Resilient Blue Mountains

• StreetConnect

• NSW State Emergency Service

Project Team 

Dr Scott Webster, Professor David Schlosberg, Professor Danielle Celermajer, Professor Amanda Howard, Associate Professor Kurt Iveson, Dr Pam Joseph, Dr Jo Longman, Associate Professor Petr Matous, Dr Nader Naderpajouh, Associate Professor Margot Rawsthorne, Professor Jakelin Troy, Dr Blanche Verlie, Dr Jodie Bailie, Emma Pittaway, Zachary Gillies-Palmer, Dr Gemma Viney, Maddy Braddon, Mary Lyons, Rachel Hall  

Funders

Funded under the joint Australian Government – NSW Government National Partnership on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The 2019-20 Black Summer fires had a huge and disastrous impact on domesticated and wild animals, and there was no official state-coordinated response to protect them. This project, Developing systems and capacities to protect animals in catastrophic fires, examined the impressive community organising that emerged before, during, and after the fires as people came together to rescue and protect animals. The project drew on this research to inform resilient, effective and targeted processes to support communities in caring for domestic and wild animals in the face of future catastrophic fires and other climate events. 

The project achieved several key objectives: 

• to listen to and better understand the experiences of communities and factors that have facilitated/impeded efforts to rescue and care for animals; 

• to work with affected communities and people involved in the informal care networks to identify changes that would support better community-based animal protection efforts; 

• to recommend changes that state agencies can make to resource and facilitate care and protection for animals during climate change-driven disasters. 

Community members and networks involved in protecting and rescuing animals during the Black Summer fires gained recognition of their efforts and achievements. This recognition has highlighted the critical role of community-based knowledge and its importance in disaster response. The insights and experiences of these community members have been systematically conveyed to relevant policymaking bodies, ensuring that this vital knowledge informs future policy.

Partners

• Formal partner: Shoalhaven City Council

• Informal partners: Informal animal care networks in the Shoalhaven NSW

Project Team

Professor Danielle Celermajer, Dr Anna Sturman, Dr Blanche Verlie, Ms Freya McDonald, Professor David Schlosberg

Funders

This project was run in partnership with Shoalhaven City Council. The project was funded by a Bushfire Recovery Grant from the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

In response to new legislation mandating local governments to develop Disaster Adaptation Plans and the release of the State Disaster Mitigation Plan by the NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) in 2024, this project aims to enhance these plans. Led by engineering consulting firm AECOM, a team of expert advisors from SEI are supporting the development of a tool to measure social preparedness, cohesion, and infrastructure in local government areas. 

This initiative will strengthen recognition of the importance of social assets, networks, and infrastructure in disaster adaptation. In this work, social assets are defined as human networks, connections, and support systems, as well as physical buildings and spaces (e.g. libraries, parks, community centres, cafés, faith-based facilities, etc.) that enable social bonds to form and grow.

The project aims to develop a mapping tool for local councils to identify existing social infrastructure and understand where gaps exist, which is essential for building effective social cohesion. Over the past few years, SEI has been working to strengthen expertise in social cohesion and build resilience in communities affected by disasters. By collaborating with industry partners like AECOM, our expertise can be implemented in practical applications.

The partnership is expected to lead to significant real-life impact by illustrating where investment in social infrastructure is needed, reducing the risk of catastrophic events in high-risk communities. By working alongside government agencies such as NSWRA and industry partners like AECOM and Murawin, the research of SEI experts can be translated into practice. The work will provide direct assistance to local councils, who can implement the tool for widespread use, ensuring that communities are better prepared and more resilient in the face of climate disasters.

Partners

• AECOM

• New South Wales Reconstruction Authority 

Project Team 

Professor David Schlosberg, Professor Nader Naderpajouh, Associate Professor Michele Barnes, Associate Professor Petr Matous