ABSTRACT
Given indigenous Australians' past ability to respond to environmental change, it is reasonable to assume that they would be some of the best placed among all Australians to cope with environmental impacts caused by anthropogenic climate change. In fact, the opposite is true due to at least two major factors. The first relates to the rate of environmental change. Projections of anthropogenic climate change indicate appreciable direct biophysical impacts occurring over a timescale of decades. The second factor relates to social and cultural resilience. Crucial surface and ground water resources are also likely to be impacted by climate change, making resource management in the dry season increasingly difficult. This chapter explores whether and by whom participatory approaches to mitigate environmental problems, especially climate impacts, were being used in Australia. It founds few researchers using an environmental justice framework, which may have helped to identify vulnerable social groups.
