Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment (NAWFA)

NAILSMA is participating in the NAWFA Cultural and Social Program to conduct four connected sub-projects that will develop knowledge and understanding on Indigenous social, cultural and economic aspirations with respect to land and water management and development in the north of Australia. Outcomes will directly inform national and state government initiatives and policy settings and Indigenous community initiatives and entities, as well as inform a range of stakeholder interest groups and potential investors.

NAILSMA will deliver four projects under the NAWFA Cultural and Social Program by May 2012.

1. Sustainable Indigenous Livelihood - Background Paper: The background paper will highlight sustainable Indigenous livelihoods across north Australia.  The paper will draw together existing community developed business models, past research experiences of TRaCK and the NAILSMA Water Resource Program, and Indigenous perspectives collected from past meetings and significant forums. The paper will be useful to inform policy and future research and will provide a platform in appropriate forums and setting for Indigenous communities to build their aspirations for locally driven Sustainable livelihoods.
2. Indigenous Livelihood Implementation Strategy and Research & Development Agenda: Together these will support sustainable Indigenous livelihoods and water development activities going forward. The outcomes of the background paper mentioned above will significantly contribute to the strategy’s development..
3. Whole of Government Approach to Supporting Indigenous Livelihoods: In this project selected existing or past catchment governance structures will be evaluated in terms of their efficacy and efficiency toward  capturing Indigenous social and cultural aspirations in any land and water management and policy development scenarios.
4. Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Management, Planning and Policy Frameworks: This project will conduct a small-scale, land and water based Indigenous knowledge project in each of the four regions: Kimberley, Top End, Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York. The outcomes will be btter understanding and developed frameworks for best practice integration of Indigenous peoples's traditional water knowledge with management, planning and policy.
   

The Northern Australia Water Futures Assessment (NAWFA) was established by the Australian Government to inform the development and protection of northern Australia’s water resources to facilitate their sustainable ecological, cultural and economic development in the future. The establishment of NAWFA was prompted by the revived attention of northern Australia’s water resources following southern Australia’s recent drought and acknowledgment of potential climate change impacts on water availability.

1. The Water Resources Program aims to develop a better understanding of water availability in northern Australia
2. The Ecological Program aims to identify and understand key ecological assets in northern Australia
3. T he Cultural and Social Program aims to understand the socio-cultural values, beliefs and practices associated with water and how they may be affected by changes in water availability
4. The Knowledge Base Program aims to provide an enduring knowledge base to inform development and protection of northern Australia’s water resources, and ensure development proceeds in an ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable way.

The National Water Commission (NWC) funds the NAWFA projects until March, 2012.

The NAILSMA coordinated NAWFA projects will work closely with:

• Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) consortium, through its Theme 6 research program and synthesis and adoption year;
• Other NAWFA programs;
• The Indigenous Water Policy Group (IWPG) and the Policy Engagement Group (PEG) – which forms the steering committee of the NAILSMA coordinated NAWFA projects;
• All NAILSMA projects – ICWFN, Carbon Project and Saltwater People Network and Indigenous Knowledge Strategy;
• The Office of Northern Australia (ONA) – the outcomes of the NAWFA projects will direct the ONA forums; and
• The National Environment Research Program (NERP)