Indigenous adaptation to climate change: the Arabana

Abstract

Indigenous peoples are projected to be disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. This chapter presents some insights into how the Arabana people, traditional owners of the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre region, Australia plan to respond to these factors and the journey they took to build their own adaptation strategies. Arabana people have a long and continuous history of experiencing change and responding through adaptation. Over and again Arabana people linked the present climate change issue to discussion of past colonial impacts such as working on the railway or being moved around by missionaries. The chapter argues that understanding Indigenous values and aspirations for adaptation is not enough. Communicating climate change adaptation is recognised as a difficult domain which often results in confusion and presents a 'major marketing challenge' to communicators.