Desert people provide a service to government/society when they manage the flow of natural and cultural services and the capital assets that generate these flows. This generates livelihood opportunities since it requires work to be done by people. Critical questions for the future of desert Australia are the extent to which this required work is recognised, resourced and available to desert people.
CP1 will model the relative benefit from investment in management of natural and cultural resources by alternative pathways. Existing models are sectorally based, but a more holistic assessment is required to understand livelihood opportunities. Existing assessments also do not account for non-market outcomes such as those that underpin production in industries such as tourism, art and pastoral.
The CP1 investment model will be informed by field research that establishes:
- the nature of demand and supply for work involved in the management of desert natural and cultural resources
- outcomes sought by local people and other stakeholders
- indicators for those outcomes.
It will:
- show stakeholders in policy arenas the value to Australia of non-market outcomes from remote living
- develop understanding of institutions for building regional economic development from the value of desert resources.
- CP1 research will also benefit local stakeholders by:
- supporting development of some livelihoods and of institutions that support livelihoods
- generating new knowledge through research collaborations between scientists, Aboriginal and local knowledge holders, research training and capacity building.
Livelihoods inLandTM is building on findings from other Desert Knowledge CRC research on natural resource management issues and opportunities.