The Goyder Institute for Water Research (Goyder) and Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a strategic partnership focussing on the critical challenges of water security and building resilience in Australia’s driest regions. This collaboration will foster knowledge development and exchange, promoting Indigenous knowledge and leadership, and research to support evidence-based decision-making in the face of climate change and water scarcity.
The partnership will also work towards strengthening connections between research institutions, governments, Indigenous organisations, water utilities, and other stakeholders to develop cooperative solutions using traditional knowledge and western science to deliver clean and safe water to communities and industries across arid and semi-arid regions.
The MoU highlights a shared commitment across several key areas, including:
• Driving knowledge development and exchange on water resource management across regional and remote Australia
• Informing best practice in water management using the best available science and knowledge, including Indigenous knowledge
• Supporting Indigenous engagement and leadership in water research and decision-making
• Creating partnerships and linkages between key organisations to deliver cooperative solutions
• Translating research into practical solutions that support clean and safe water for regional communities and industries
Director of the Goyder Institute for Water Research, Dr Alec Rolston, said the exciting partnership represents a significant step in addressing water challenges across regional and remote Australia. “By combining our strengths in science and community-led innovation, we can better respond to the growing need for sustainable and adaptive water solutions that work across rural and remote communities,” said Dr Rolston.
Desert Knowledge Australia CEO, Jimmy Cocking, echoed the value of the partnership. “Water is life in the desert, and by working together we’re ensuring that future solutions are grounded in both research excellence and lived experience. This partnership is about empowering people and places through shared knowledge.”
The collaboration will build on both organisations’ strong track records of working with government, industry, and communities to deliver evidence-based outcomes that support economic growth, social wellbeing and resilience in a changing climate.
Image L to R: Dr Alec Rolston, Goyder Institute for Water Research and Mr Jimmy Cocking, Desert Knowledge Australia, (Mparntwe) Alice Springs, NT.
