Case Study

Drought Resilience Research and Literature Review

Introduction

To support the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), and the Wheatbelt and Great Southern Development Commissions, develop a suite of Drought Vulnerability Assessments, we were commissioned to undertake a detailed review of drought-related material (academic, technical, policy, etc) and synthesised this into a comprehensive summary document, along with a socio-economic-environmental analysis of key local government areas in the Great Southern, Wheatbelt and Midwest to inform the development of Drought Vulnerability Assessments.

Woman looking thoughtfully at a document.

Situation

Foundations for Drought Vulnerability Assessments

As part of the drought resilience planning process, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development needed professional expertise to support their Policy Team to be ready to undertake Drought Vulnerability Assessments (DVAs) as part of their submission to the Federal Government’s Future Drought Fund.

There was a vast quantity of literature related to drought resilience (both Australian-based and internationally) and the agency needed a detailed review undertaken of this documentation to provide the foundations of the DVAs.

In addition to this, a socio-economic-environmental analysis of key local government areas of the Great Southern, Wheatbelt and Midwest was also needed.

It was essential that information was carefully coalesced into a professional final document that was both robust and accessible to community stakeholders, balancing the need for science-based evidence with the presentation in a digestible format.

Solution

Drought Resilience Literature Review

With very tight timelines, we undertook a detailed review of drought-related material (academic, technical and policy) and synthesised this into a comprehensive summary document exploring drought resilience and adaptation. This was presented in a consistent and accessible format with accurate referencing of source documents.

Socio-Economic-Environmental Analysis

We undertook detailed assessments of 3 regional areas and 16 local government areas to provide insights into their commonalities and unique characteristics. This process saw our team delve deeply into the complexities of each area to understand its vulnerabilities and strengths. This insight later informed the shaping of Regional Drought Resilience Plans, taking into account these factors.