ILWS - Institute of Land, Water and Society
National Forum
Understanding rural landholder responses to climate change
17-18 November, 2009
Charles Sturt University,
Albury-Wodonga
Program Download the program [.pdf]
Presentations and Links (see below)
Australian agriculture and rural communities will need to adapt to climate change. Many rural landholders are already taking some steps to minimise net losses and take advantage of opportunities for gains. There are a number of social research programs - recently completed or underway – which focus on understanding the nature and scale of adaptation responses by rural landholders, the social/psychological factors influencing the type of actions being taken, and the extent to which landholder perceptions of climate risk are shaping the way they manage their properties.
The Institute for Land, Water and Society, in partnership with Landscape Logic CERF, Future Farm Industries CRC, CSIRO and NCCARF held a two day Forum to discuss and debate the current and future social and institutional issues which challenge researchers, resource managers, policy makers, and members of rural communities.
Pictured left: Geoff Park, Rik Thwaites, Prof Guy Robinson and Chris Raymond
Pictured left: Libby Price, the presenter of ABC Country Hour Victoria with the CEO of the CRC for Future Farm Industries, Kevin Goss
ABC Country Hour Victoria broadcast live from the Forum... listen here (link to ABC Radio website)
Pictured left: Nicky Mazur, Geoff Kuehne and Digby Race
Presentations (all .pdf)
Is an extra dollop of improved farm productivity all we need?
Dr Neil Barr
Pathways to adaptation
David Beard
Providing context for (climate) change
Helen Burns
Riding the waves of drought to climate change
Janet Conques
A participatory approach to developing climate change adaptation
options for NSW farming systems
Steven Crimp
From policy to practice in climate change adaptation: an examination of policy-driven adaptation in south-east Australia and some consequences
Dr Jacqueline de Chazal
Does knowing where ‘climate change’ sits in decision-systems theory
add clarity or confusion?
Dr Quentin Farmar-Bowers
How different understandings of climate change shape responses
Aysha Fleming
Climate change and the agriculture sector: the role of BRS in
supporting evidence-based policy
Dr John Gray
The Policy Challenge
Dr Kevin Goss
Goulburn Broken CMA’s Approach to Climate Change Adaptation &
Influencing Community Response
Melanie Haddow
Policy Implications Arising from Decision Making in Rural Communities
in Relation to Climate Change
Dr Anthony Hogan
Layers of Resilience: A dairy community dealing with drought and
climate change
Dr Sonya Love
Rural Landholder Responses to Drought and Climate Change: Does
Belief Really Matter?
Dr Nikki Mazur,
Dr Rik Thwaites and
Dr Maureen Rogers
Mapping landscape values and perceived climate change risks for
natural resource management
Chris Raymond
5 big questions and seasonal climate information
Chris Sounness
Understanding Rural Landholders' and Communities' Responses to
Climate Change
Nyree Stenekes
Energymark: A kitchen table approach to mitigation
Yasmin van
Kasteren
What’s in a Word: Rural Adjustment and Structural Transformation?
Dr Sally Weller
Relevant Links:
Climate risk and adaptation
among primary producers:
Topline results focusing on primary producers reporting the effects of adverse seasonal
conditions It's about people - changing perspectives on dryness (.pdf)
Report prepared for the Drought Review Branch, Australian Government Department
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (
Anthony Hogan, Michael Hanslip, Robert Kancans, Jacqui Russell and Brigit Maguire)
September 2008
For more information about research underway contact Maureen Rogers at marogers@csu.edu.au.