The CASPR Blog

coastal

Assessing the efficacy of coastal adaptation plans in South Australia

By CASPR Masters graduate Jessica Priess. Coastal adaptation planning provides coastal communities with solutions to address local climate change impacts. Coastal hazards and impacts are increasing and so are the associated risks to coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Without effective adaptation planning which helps to prepare for the impacts of climate change, communities may experience damage caused by coastal erosion, inundation, and extreme weather events. However, the literature points to there being an implementation gap …

coastal

New research: An assessment of the integration of coastal hazard risk into local government strategic and adaptation planning in SA

Professor Beverley Clarke and the CASPR team have recently completed a compendium of coastal adaptation planning drawn from every coastal council in South Australia. This research presents a snapshot and baseline of the state’s coastal councils’ approach to adaptation funded by the Department for Environment and Water’s Coastal Research and Development Grant scheme. Understanding South Australian coastal councils’ approach to adaptation planning from a strategic management perspective has potential to lead to better coordination, resourcing, and information sharing. …

newly published

A systematic review of the outcomes of sustained environmental collective action

A new paper published in Environmental Science and Policy outlines a review of existing research into environmental action across diverse issues, tactics and locations. Though we are seeing an upsurge of environmental action worldwide, reports indicate that the state of the environment is continuing to decline. Does this mean that environmental action by non-government organisations is unsuccessful? A deeper understanding of the characteristics of successful action is urgently required to inform new and continuing movements …

postgrads

Sustainable development and domestic climate change policy

By Judi Storer, PhD candidate In my Bachelor of Laws with Honours degree, I was privileged to be able to select elective topics from the Masters of International Law degree. One of these topics introduced me to the International Law principles of sustainable development, first enshrined in the Stockholm Declaration in 1972, then reiterated in the 1992 Rio Declaration. Fifty years on from the Stockholm Declaration, it is apparent these principles have the potential to …

postgrads

Surf tourism sustainability for destination communities in the Global South

By Cole Williams My research will investigate the sustainability of the surf tourism industry for destination communities in the Global South and develop new destination governance strategies with the aim of improving the lives of local populations. This involves analysing the flow of surf tourists from the developed world to the less developed world where, in many coastal towns, surf tourism has become the primary industry and livelihood for local communities. A vision of wonderland …

internship

Hannah’s internship: Mapping the grassroots climate movement

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Associate Professor Cassandra Star on a project for her upcoming book publication. The project on mapping the grassroots climate movement in Australia allowed me to practice quantitative research on a topic that I am keenly interested in. Aside from developing valuable research skills, this project has given me insight into a topic I would now love to research further in my postgraduate studies. Through …

internship

CASPR Summer ’22 Interns

CASPR once again welcomed research interns in February 2022. CASPR’s internship program gives undergraduate and Honours students the opportunity to hone their research skills and have a taste of academic life at Flinders. Maya, Abby and Henry undertook project specific research with Cassandra Star and Beverley Clarke and share their experiences with us. “Participating in CASPR’s 2022 Summer Internship program provided me with valuable insights into Australian sustainability research and the work of university-based …

bushfire

CASPR awarded Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grant

The CASPR Group has secured funding for vital research into the efficacy of bushfire action plans of older people (70+) living independently in high danger bushfire areas. CASPR Research Lead Beverley Clarke, CASPR Associate Kirstin Ross, group Director Cassandra Star and Research Fellow Zoei Sutton have been awarded a $196k Bushfire Recovery Grant from the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to fund the project Facilitating bushfire action planning for older people. …

bushfire

New report: Review of SA Bushfire Legal Services

The ‘Black Summer’ of 2019-20 saw bushfires raging across Australia for months, with devastating loss of life, biodiversity and property. In the aftermath of the disaster, the South Australian Bushfire Legal Project was piloted in select regional areas in South Australia to aid survivors with the multitude of legal issues faced by communities post-disaster. An evaluation of the legal services delivery program was undertaken by the Climate and Sustainability Policy Research (CASPR) Group, commissioned by …

bushfire

Post-disaster legal services: learning from international best practice

The devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales have left thousands of Australians with major property damage that will be ongoing as the flood waters start to recede. The emotional toll of surviving a disaster is compounded by the reality of physically cleaning up damaged homes and businesses – so adding to one’s mental load by making insurance claims may not be at the forefront of survivors’ priorities. The reality is that in …