Participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country: interim report

This technical report contributes to the December 2013 Milestone for the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Tropical Ecosystem Hub (TEH) Project 12.1 Indigenous co-management and biodiversity protection. The overall goal of this co-research is to interrogate the capability of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and other collaborative planning models and mechanisms to provide the means for effective engagement of Indigenous knowledge and comanagement for biodiversity and cultural protection in the region; and to provide for joint management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area between governments and Rainforest Aboriginal people, in partnership with communities. Our definition of co-management as a continual solution-building process, not a fixed state, involving extensive talking, negotiating together and jointly learning so it gets better over time, underpins our derived framework of comanagement (see Fig 2). This framework, that includes thirteen separate but related parts that can be grouped into two features of co-management (Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong; and Keeping Engagement Strong), guides the participatory evaluation shared in this report. The framework was refined from earlier project work (see Maclean et al, 2012), ongoing discussions with the project co-research team and a regional participatory workshop held in October 2012 (Hill et al. 2012). The results reported here are located within the second phase of a three year co-research project, providing an interim participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country, NE Australia1. Both qualitative and a quantitative data contribute to the evaluation which was conducted together with Rainforest Aboriginal peoples in two separate workshops. Workshop one was hosted by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in Cardwell on 23 November 2013, and brought forward data informed by the nine tribal groups that are represented therein. Workshop two was hosted by the Rainforest Aboriginal People’s Alliance as part of the ‘Warrama: for Rainforest Country, Kin and Culture’ held at Genzanno 28 November-1st December 2013. This workshop brought forward data informed by the wider twenty tribal groups across the region of wet tropics country. A health rating of 1 to 5 (where 1=very sick; 5=excellent health) was given to three indicators (structures, processes and results) for each part of the framework at both workshops, and the reasons for the ratings discussed in small groups. This Interim Report presents a quantitative analysis of data from both the Girringun and RAP Workshops, but qualitative and spatial analysis of only the Girringun data. The short time frame between the regional RAP workshop and the data for report submission did not allow for a full analysis of the data, which will be included in the Final Participatory Evaluation Report in June 2014. This Final Report will also include data from participatory workshops with governments and other partners involved in co-management of wet tropics country Both the Girringun and RAP workshops evaluated the structures, processes and results for the Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong parts of the framework as in better health than thethose for Keeping Engagement Strong. The results of participatory evaluations reported here resonate with the concept of the creation of an equitable intercultural space as the key means of achieving co-management (Hibbard et al. 2008; Hill 2011). Indigenous Protected Areas were identified as the most useful tool for creating an equitable intercultural space, due to their\adaptability and flexibility, providing opportunities for effective collaboration with government and others

Participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country: interim report

This technical report contributes to the December 2013 Milestone for the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Tropical Ecosystem Hub (TEH) Project 12.1 Indigenous co-management and biodiversity protection. The overall goal of this co-research is to interrogate the capability of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and other collaborative planning models and mechanisms to provide the means for effective engagement of Indigenous knowledge and comanagement for biodiversity and cultural protection in the region; and to provide for joint management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area between governments and Rainforest Aboriginal people, in partnership with communities. Our definition of co-management as a continual solution-building process, not a fixed state, involving extensive talking, negotiating together and jointly learning so it gets better over time, underpins our derived framework of comanagement (see Fig 2). This framework, that includes thirteen separate but related parts that can be grouped into two features of co-management (Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong; and Keeping Engagement Strong), guides the participatory evaluation shared in this report. The framework was refined from earlier project work (see Maclean et al, 2012), ongoing discussions with the project co-research team and a regional participatory workshop held in October 2012 (Hill et al. 2012). The results reported here are located within the second phase of a three year co-research project, providing an interim participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country, NE Australia1. Both qualitative and a quantitative data contribute to the evaluation which was conducted together with Rainforest Aboriginal peoples in two separate workshops. Workshop one was hosted by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in Cardwell on 23 November 2013, and brought forward data informed by the nine tribal groups that are represented therein. Workshop two was hosted by the Rainforest Aboriginal People’s Alliance as part of the ‘Warrama: for Rainforest Country, Kin and Culture’ held at Genzanno 28 November-1st December 2013. This workshop brought forward data informed by the wider twenty tribal groups across the region of wet tropics country. A health rating of 1 to 5 (where 1=very sick; 5=excellent health) was given to three indicators (structures, processes and results) for each part of the framework at both workshops, and the reasons for the ratings discussed in small groups. This Interim Report presents a quantitative analysis of data from both the Girringun and RAP Workshops, but qualitative and spatial analysis of only the Girringun data. The short time frame between the regional RAP workshop and the data for report submission did not allow for a full analysis of the data, which will be included in the Final Participatory Evaluation Report in June 2014. This Final Report will also include data from participatory workshops with governments and other partners involved in co-management of wet tropics country Both the Girringun and RAP workshops evaluated the structures, processes and results for the Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong parts of the framework as in better health than thethose for Keeping Engagement Strong. The results of participatory evaluations reported here resonate with the concept of the creation of an equitable intercultural space as the key means of achieving co-management (Hibbard et al. 2008; Hill 2011). Indigenous Protected Areas were identified as the most useful tool for creating an equitable intercultural space, due to their\adaptability and flexibility, providing opportunities for effective collaboration with government and others

Developing a model for the use of traditional cultural knowledge for tourism product

The aim of this research is to identify how Traditional Owner groups in Queensland's Wet Tropics rainforests may capitalise on the tourism industry's willingness to incorporate Traditional Cultural Knowledge perspectives into tourism products by developing a framework or management model for using these products. This study focusses on sourcing Traditional Cultural Knowledge through secondary information allowing rainforest Aboriginal groups to collect this knowledge and to reimagine or recognate it into products thus capitalising on their cultural resources to benefit from the region's tourism industry

Developing a model for the use of traditional cultural knowledge for tourism product

The aim of this research is to identify how Traditional Owner groups in Queensland's Wet Tropics rainforests may capitalise on the tourism industry's willingness to incorporate Traditional Cultural Knowledge perspectives into tourism products by developing a framework or management model for using these products. This study focusses on sourcing Traditional Cultural Knowledge through secondary information allowing rainforest Aboriginal groups to collect this knowledge and to reimagine or recognate it into products thus capitalising on their cultural resources to benefit from the region's tourism industry

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Violence: facts and figures

This resource sets out a 'facts and figures' overview of family violence impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A detailed discussion is not intended

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Violence : facts and figures

This resource sets out a 'facts and figures' overview of family violence impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A detailed discussion is not intended

Seven pearls of wisdom: Advice from Traditional Owners to improve engagement of local Indigenous people in shellfish ecosystem restoration

Oysters, mussels and other shellfish are culturally and economically important resources for coastal communities globally. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have engaged in the harvest, consumption, ecological management and trade of shellfish and shellfish products for millennia (Bailey 1975; Beck et al. 2011; Alleway & Connell 2015). Shellfish ecosystems have been severely reduced in Australia since European settlement through overharvest using destructive fishing practices, pollution and disease (reviewed in Gillies et al. 2018, 2015). There is growing interest in the restoration of shellfish ecosystems in Australia to bring back a vastly reduced natural ecosystem, and the ecosystem services they provide such as providing habitat for other species, water filtration and shoreline protection (Gillies et al. 2015)

Seven pearls of wisdom: Advice from Traditional Owners to improve engagement of local Indigenous people in shellfish ecosystem restoration

Oysters, mussels and other shellfish are culturally and economically important resources for coastal communities globally. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have engaged in the harvest, consumption, ecological management and trade of shellfish and shellfish products for millennia (Bailey 1975; Beck et al. 2011; Alleway & Connell 2015). Shellfish ecosystems have been severely reduced in Australia since European settlement through overharvest using destructive fishing practices, pollution and disease (reviewed in Gillies et al. 2018, 2015). There is growing interest in the restoration of shellfish ecosystems in Australia to bring back a vastly reduced natural ecosystem, and the ecosystem services they provide such as providing habitat for other species, water filtration and shoreline protection (Gillies et al. 2015)

How 'valuable' are the ecosystem services of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area to residents and tourists? Report to the National Environmental Research Program

[Extract] Background:\ud \ud •The research described herein, was supported by the Australian Government as part of its National Environmental Research Program (NERP). The NERP comprised 5 main research hubs, each with a specific focus.\ud \ud •The research reported on here was undertaken as part of the Tropical Ecosystem (TE) Hub which addresses issues of concern for the management, conservation and sustainable use of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its catchments, tropical rainforests including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA), and the terrestrial and marine assets underpinning resilient communities in the Torres Strait.\ud \ud •This report focuses on issues relevant to the management and conservation of the WTWHA.\ud \ud Aim, Objectives and Scope:\ud \ud •The overarching aim of this project was to improve our understanding of the value which residents and tourists place upon the ES of the WTWHA. To satisfy this aim, three specific objectives were devised, namely to:\ud 1. Improve our understanding of the relative importance or 'value' of the WTWHA’s ES to residents and tourists;\ud 2. Make predictions about the way in which resident and tourist 'values', and thus management, conservation and marketing priorities may alter in the future as both population and tourist numbers change; and\ud 3. Improve methods for assessing ‘values’ by comparing state-of-the art nonmonetary valuation techniques with more 'traditional' valuation techniques.\ud \ud •This report thus provides an account of the key ES provided by the WTWHA which residents and tourists find important (or 'valuable'). In doing so, it highlights conservation, management and tourism/ marketing priorities. This information will be of immediate use to the tourism industry, to managers and policy makers in the region

Mapping cultural ecosystem services with rainforest aboriginal peoples: Integrating biocultural diversity, governance and social variation

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) include the aesthetic, artistic, educational, spiritual and/or scientific values of ecosystems and have been described as ‘intangible’ and complex, reflecting diverse people-nature interactions that are embedded in dynamic linked social-ecological systems. CES have proved difficult to value, therefore mapping CES has largely concentrated on more tangible aspects, such as tourism and recreation—presenting the risk that highly significant cultural relationships, such as those between Indigenous peoples and their traditional land, will be rendered invisible in ecosystem assessments. We present our results from co-research with a group of ‘Rainforest Aboriginal peoples׳ from the Wet Tropics, Australia that illustrates a method to address this gap through mapping their perceptions of the health of Indigenous CES. We found that categories associated with biocultural diversity and governance matched their perceptions better than the usual framework that recognizes aesthetic, spiritual and other categories. Co-produced maps presented demonstrate spatial patterns of CES that are related primarily to variations in social attributes (such as adherence to cultural protocols), rather than the ecological attributes (such as biodiversity patterns). Further application of these concepts of biocultural diversity governance, and variation in social attributes when mapping CES, particularly in partnerships with Indigenous peoples is recommended