Our integrative research activities synthesise across the entire
DKCRC research portfolio.
The Science of Desert Living consolidates our understandings
of desert drivers and their impacts to provide an integrated,
inter-sectoral discipline and is at the forefront of understanding
regions as systems. The Science of Desert Living project will help to develop a
solid underlying theoretical basis for developing solutions to
applied desert living problems more rapidly and confidently.
Closely aligned projects are identifying and linking the key social
and economic issues affecting the viability of desert regions and
exploring the role that property rights play in the use of desert
landscapes by a range of different groups and how the associated
benefits are distributed.
Collaborations with the Tangentyere Council are helping to
inform decision makers about regional mobility and its impacts,
which are helping us improve our representations of the function of
desert regions. We also have a greater understanding of future
demographic changes to the desert through studies into regional
demography which will inform future work.
A series of theme project reports will also help us achieve our
milestones and enhance our understanding of the desert system.
Significant research work has gone into refining regional
development strategies, using a systems approach, understanding
what is different and important about the communities, economies
and resources of desert Australia and identifying and linking key
social and economic issues affecting the sustainability of desert
regions. This work provides baseline regional data and economic
input-output modelling that will inform systems representations of
the critical nature and function of outback regions by June 2008.
Research projects examining the use of systems approaches to define
regional tourism futures and mapping socio-regions of desert
Australia are also being finalised.
