Addressing Kakadu’s strategic research needs

The Park has immense cultural values associated with over 50,000 years of habitation, including extensive networks of rock art sites up to 20,000 years old. It features diverse landscapes, high biodiversity, and endemic species. The Park’s coastal environmental values are not as well-researched as the terrestrial values.

To continually develop the two-way knowledge and management of Kakadu National Park, targeted research co-designed by Bininj and Mungguy peoples and scientists is needed. The Kakadu Indigenous Research Committee is building this information base from several collaborative research projects under the guidance of the Kakadu Research and Management Advisory Committee.

NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub supports Kakadu managers and researchers to develop comprehensive strategies for future science that align with their management goals.

NESP Project 3.19 will focus on the collaborative identification of marine and coastal issues that require better understanding and then develop an appropriate research strategy to address these.

Approach

The project will collaboratively identify research needs and develop an associated marine and coastal research strategy by:

• systematically compiling and analysing existing information;
• considering both Traditional Knowledge and newer science;
• identifying knowledge gaps and research priorities;
• considering both culture and environment;
• updating research protocols;
• co-designing research projects to address short and longer-term priorities; and
• drafting the research strategy.

Expected outcomes

• Identified and supported implementation of strategic best-practice research.
• A strategy for the right research to meet Indigenous communities’ economic and cultural needs.
• A best-practice approach to research planning and design.

Project location