How might centring the river as the subject of climate change adaptation surface the risks and costs of inaction and lead to its regeneration?
Despite the dependence of local economies on the Birrarung Yarra River, the systemic climate change risks affecting the river remain vastly misunderstood. This project will pioneer one of the first assessments of systemic climate change risks for an environmental asset that is no longer treated merely as a public good, but as a living entity with its own legal rights. Innovatively placing the Birrarung Yarra River at the centre of adaptation planning, this project seeks to enable better adaptation outcomes by identifying and integrating systemic risk into a cost-benefit analysis framework; quantifying the social, environmental and economic value of a thriving versus degraded river; and identifying viable pathways to finance its regeneration and resilience. Paired with rigorous academic analyses, intentional orchestration across the waterway's fragmented stakeholder network will foster the adoption of co-created adaptation futures in service of the river.
Together with partners we have identified the need and the shape of the project, including potential funding sources. We have led the co-design of the applied research proposal and are now convening the group of partners to move this project into action
We are investigating pathways to fund and enable this work.
Research priority identified during RM research workshop
Grant proposal co-designed and submitted to Lloyd's Foundation Research Grant
The funding proposal was unsuccessful
A new project pitch was prepared
Workshop pathways for funding this work
Research, guides, and stories from the work underway.
