About Us
The Institute for Land, Water and Society is a leading research institute within Charles Sturt University, Australia's largest regional university.
Established in 2005, it combines the expertise of ecological scientists, social researchers and economists. It has 63 members, 98 associate members (adjuncts and early career research staff) and 85 PhD students. Many of these researchers are recognised internationally and are making important contributions to regional sustainability and conservation.
The principal focus of the Institute is integrated research which contributes to improved social and environmental sustainability in rural and regional Australia.
It is underpinned by five scholarly communities. They are Rural Social Research, Ecology & Biodiversity, Human Dimensions of Environmental Management, Economics and Regional Development, and Communication, Arts & Education. The groups are largely discipline based with membership across CSU's five campuses.
The Institute aims to support the scholarly communities necessary to sustain researchers; provide a "shop-front" to enable the regional community to access its research capacity; and facilitate integration across disciplines to address critical natural resource management, biodiversity and social issues.
The director is Prof Max Finlayson.
The Institute was initially formed from the pre-existing Centre for Rural Social Research and the Johnstone Centre for Natural Resources and Society.