Desert Knowledge CRC: Overview and emerging insights

This paper provides an overview of the findings coming from the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre’s (DKCRC) research with particular reference to the sustainability of settlements and communities, and improvement in the livelihoods and wellbeing of people living in Australia’s desert regions. The paper will focus a ‘fair go’ based on discovering and acknowledging the many talents, insights and opportunities the desert brings when faced with the unique challenging conditions that distinguish living in the desert from those living in coastal, higher populated centres. Some of the DKCRCs broad objectives are to better understand and consequently offer useful contributions to the people, economies, technologies and environments that constitute desert living. Accordingly, the DKCRC is committed to creating economic opportunities for desert people and a demonstrable difference for remote Aboriginal communities, through the application of excellent research and training.The research operates in a context that navigates and examines regional partnership agreements, coordination, complexity, intervention and at times notions of sweeping away desert initiatives. Within this context, the paper will identify emerging insights and knowledge that are well placed to address its charter towards more sustainable futures for desert communities. Specific examples both from across the DKCRC research projects as well as within the core project of Sustainable Desert Settlements research will be presented.While a fair go for the desert suggests a welfare tone, it is hoped that this presentation will offer a wider view. One where a fair go is to see the opportunities desert communities present to regional and wider Australia.