Strengthening indigenous led climate knowledge and water governance

As climate change increasingly pressures water availability in the Murray-Darling Basin, there is a growing need to recognise and work respectfully with First Nations knowledges. Stories of One Basin was developed in response. Led by Charles Sturt ethnographic historian and EcoSocial Worker Peta Jeffries through the Gulbali Institute, the project adopts an Indigenist research approach grounded in Indigenous scholarship and relational accountability. Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers worked collaboratively to explore past, present and future relationships between people, water and Country.

During 2025, the project delivered tangible outcomes, including a top-up PhD scholarship supporting Indigenous-led research on data sovereignty and water governance, recruitment of a First Nations research assistant co-developing a living digital archive, and expanded inter-university partnerships.