Innovation and deadlock in governing disasters and climate change collaboratively - Lessons from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia

Rebecca McNaught; Johanna Nalau; Rob Hales; Emma Pittaway; John Handmer; Jean Renouf

doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104366

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Innovation and deadlock in governing disasters and climate change collaboratively - Lessons from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia

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Innovation and deadlock in governing disasters and climate change collaboratively - Lessons from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia

Rebecca McNaught, Johanna Nalau, Rob Hales, Emma Pittaway, John Handmer and Jean Renouf

International journal of disaster risk reduction, Vol.105, 104366

15/04/2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104366

Appears in Recent Faculty of Business, Law and Arts Publications

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Abstract

Climate change adaptation

Collaborative governance

Disaster governance

Disaster risk reduction

Locally-led

Participatory governance

Both scholars and global policy point to the need for, and effectiveness of, locally-led and collaborative disaster and climate change practices. However, there is a need for analysing how these collaborative approaches are developed and used in practice in different contexts. This paper outlines the use of collaborative approaches by a climate change and disaster community of practice across seven local government areas in the Northern Rivers region, New South Wales, Australia. The region has experienced multiple large-scale flood and bushfire disasters since 2017. This ethnographic study uses established collaborative governance and adaptive governance theoretical frameworks to draw findings from: lived experiences of researchers, 22 interviews with diverse stakeholder groups, in-person and online events and the first author's research diary. The findings indicate that collaborative practice in response to disasters and climate change has resulted in both effective outcomes and multi-dimensional challenges, which have lasting implications for communities across the Northern Rivers region. Three critical leverage points for enhanced collaboration and effectiveness were identified. First, improved use and flow of information such as climate projections and place- and needs-based information. Second, mindset shifts that value community knowledge and contributions, and improved practice through enhancing skills in community development and community-led recovery in disaster and climate change practitioners. Lastly, collectively moving from reactive to proactive responses to climate change and disasters. These insights provide an opportunity for improving the design of community-based risk reduction programs and multi-stakeholder governance arrangements into the future, in the state of New South Wales and beyond.

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Title: Innovation and deadlock in governing disasters and climate change collaboratively - Lessons from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia
Creators: Rebecca McNaught - University of Sydney
Johanna Nalau - Griffith University
Rob Hales - Griffith University
Emma Pittaway - University of Sydney
John Handmer - International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Jean Renouf - Southern Cross University
Publication Details: International journal of disaster risk reduction, Vol.105, 104366
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Identifiers: 991013176512302368
Academic Unit: Faculty of Business, Law and Arts; Faculty of Science and Engineering; Humanities
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Innovation and deadlock in governing disasters and climate change collaboratively - Lessons from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia

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