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Transformative Responses to Global Environmental Change

The world is experiencing significant environmental change, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, which has multiple
and intersecting impacts on people and places. These global environmental changes are grounded in, and exacerbated by,
oppressive systems such as colonialism, neoliberal capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy. Addressing these
complexities requires courageous responses to transform dominant structures of injustice for the rights and flourishing of
people and planet.

The research supports and promotes interdisciplinary interventions that are participatory and action-oriented, being
informed by Indigenous knowledge systems and upholding principles of climate justice. Projects include studies of socially
and ecologically just transitions from extractivism, inclusive social movements for climate justice, human mobility and place
attachment, and ecological grief.

Projects

Responding to Natural Disaster Risk: Evaluating Vulnerability, Awareness and Liveability

Centre Members

  • Justine Dandy
  • Pierre Horwitz (external, adjunct ECU)
  • Naomi Godden
  • Trevor Ryan
  • Zoe Leviston (external, ANU)

Other ECU

  • Deirdre Drake

Other Non-ECU

  • Francesca Perugia, Curtin University

Funding

Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (NDRR2324-029)

Partners

  • City of Wanneroo
  • The Peron-Naturaliste Partnership
  • Department of Fire & Emergency Services
  • Department of Health
  • Southwest Migrant Women’s Association
  • Ishar Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health

Description
Increased exposure to four of the seven managed natural hazards – heatwave, bushfires, storms and flooding – will have consequences for liveability in Western Australia’s urban and peri urban areas. For some residents there will be mental and physical health outcomes; some will be forced to retreat, to move elsewhere, gradually or suddenly. Some residents will respond by putting pressure on local infrastructure, services and resources. Others will put the effort into protecting themselves.

This project addresses environmental disaster risk in community resilience by understanding community perceptions responses and experiences in urban and peri urban WA. There are currently no benchmarks for residents’ understandings of the risk and impacts of disasters for the Perth metropolitan and southwest areas, the influence of disasters on liveability and residents’ likely responses. Establishing a baseline will enable local and state governments to prepare and respond to specific events and to make better decisions about policies in future planning around infrastructure, adaptation and mitigation strategies.

This information is vital to understand how best to communicate risk and impact information to communities to enhance preparedness and response in ways that promote individual health and community well-being. Implementation of hazard response policy and strategy in communities will only be effective if we have a solid understanding of the extent and nature of community awareness of environmental hazards and risks, factors that influence how and when residents might respond to hazards, and their capacity and willingness to engage in practices to mitigate risk and/or adapt to environmental change.

Publications
Dandy, J., & Leviston, Z. (2024, February 16). Climate change is forcing Australians to weigh up relocating. How do they make that difficult decision? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-forcing-australians-to-weigh-up-relocating-how-do-they-make-that-difficult-decision-221971

Climate change and the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people

Chief Investigators

  • Naomi Joy Godden (ECU)
  • Mara West (Telethon Kid Institute)
  • Brad Farrant (Telethon Kids Institute)
  • Mindy Blaise (ECU)
  • Trudi Cooper (ECU)
  • Sue Bailey (ECU)
  • Zoe Leviston (Australian National University)
  • Jaime Yallup Farrant (Climate Justice Union WA)
  • Colin Penter (WA Association for Mental Health)
  • Navjot Bhullar (ECU)
  • Lucy Hopkins (ECU)
  • Jason Barrow (Ngarlark Katitjin)
  • Mena Tabeshfar (young person)
  • Bella Burgemeister (young person)
  • Emma Heyink (young person)
  • Eva Carot-Collins (young person)

Partners

  • Youth climate advocates
  • Climate Justice Union WA
  • Ngarlark Katitjin
  • Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia
  • Western Australian Association for Mental Health

Description
In partnership with WA Aboriginal leaders, youth and mental health sectors, and youth climate leaders, this project aims to support the community, practitioners, and policymakers to understand and enhance the mental health and wellbeing of WA children and young people affected by climate change. The project will generate an evidence base to inform improved policy, practice and service delivery in the areas of Aboriginal health, mental health, children and youth, and climate change. The WA community, families, and Aboriginal, mental health and children and youth organisations and practitioners will have increased knowledge about protective strategies to mitigate the detrimental psychological impacts of climate change and support the resilience and coping capacities of children and young people responding to climate change.

Publications

  1. Godden, N., Farrant, B., Yallup Farrant, J., Heyink, E., Carot Collins, E., Burgemeister, B., Tabeshfar, M., Barrow, J., West, M., Kieft, J., Rothwell, M., Leviston, Z., Bailey, S., Blaise, M., Cooper, T. (2021). Climate change, activism, and supporting the mental health of children and young people: Perspectives from Western Australia. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57(11), 1759-1764. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.15649.

A Just Transition for Collie that Leaves No One Behind

Chief Investigators

  • Dr Naomi Godden
  • Dr Mehran Nejati
  • Prof Angus Morrison-Saunders

Funding
Climate Justice Union WA, $6,400 
Centre for People, Place & Planet, $9,994

Partners

  • Climate Justice Union WA

Description
The community of Collie on Wilman Boodja is transitioning from coal-fired energy production. This project aims to support the Collie community to achieve the type of transition they need and deserve; one which reduces inequity and provides a positive future for the whole community for generations to come. In collaboration with and led by Collie community members and stakeholders, the project builds on decades of community-based work that has come before it, to produce a local baseline social justice profile which highlights how diverse community members are likely to be impacted by the energy transition, and by the increasing and expected local impacts of climate change. The project aims to accelerate the achievement of key just transition priorities in the transition away from coal.

Climate Justice and The Western Australian Community Services Sector

Chief Investigators

  • Dr Naomi Joy Godden
  • Dr Libby Jackson-Barrett
  • Dr Sue Bailey
  • Dr Mehran Nejati Ajibisheh
  • Dr Shajimon Peter
  • Dr Julie Nyanjom
  • Professor Janine Joyce
  • Bronte Alston (HDR)
  • Raphaela Raaber
  • Dr Kylie Wrigley

Funding

  • Lotterywest: $251,370
  • Commonwealth Government with support of the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services: $892,362

Partners

  • Healthy Environments and Lives WA Aboriginal Steering Group
  • Climate Justice Union WA
  • Western Australia Council of Social Service
  • MercyCare
  • Anglicare
  • Rise Network
  • WA Community Legal Service

Description
Across Western Australia (WA), communities increasingly experience the impacts of climate change and disasters, which affects the operations and practices of community service organisations. The climate Justice and WA community services sector project has two phases.

In phase one, Edith Cowan University’s Centre for People, Place and Planet (CPPP) has worked alongside community service organisations, Aboriginal Traditional Owners, and People with Lived Experience to develop an online Climate Justice and Resilience Toolkit for the WA community service sector. This Toolkit provides publicly available resources and tools to support organisations to embed climate justice and disaster resilience in their operations, policies, programs and practices. The Toolkit covers areas such as community-led disaster resilience, climate justice advocacy, processes of Lived Experience engagement, and identifying climate injustices in your community.

In phase two, the CPPP and WA organisations are partnering to implement practical tools and processes for infusing climate justice and disaster resilience in community services. Through participatory cycles of action and reflection, this applied research documents and explores the processes, enablers and challenges to organisational change towards climate justice and disaster resilience. The project will generate learnings about climate just approaches to community practice that strengthen community service organisations and frontline communities in a changing climate.

The project will also involve a series of trainings, webinars, and a community of practice to support community service organisations in WA. Please Visit the Toolkit and subscribe to the newsletter here to stay informed about the project and these opportunities.

Publications

  1. https://climatejusticetoolkit.org.au/
  2. Wijekoon, D., Godden, N. J., & Beardman, G. (2024). Community Service Perspectives on Climate Change and Social Justice in Western Australia. Australian Social Work, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2024.2329234
  3. Godden, N., Wijekoon, D., Wrigley, K. (2022). Social (In)justice, climate change and climate policy in Western Australia. Environmental Sociology, 8(4), 377-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2022.2069216.
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