Cultural systems, science and natural resource management: Aboriginal management of wetlands in the west Kimberley, Australia

My doctoral research investigates Australian Aboriginal conceptualisations of wetland ecosystem management. Set in
the context of cross-cultural natural resource management (NRM) in northern Australia, the research responds to calls for
Aboriginal peoples' complex knowledge systems to be better accommodated within NRM. Thesis outcomes emphasise that,
through Aboriginal ways of managing wetlands, intrinsic and integrated cultural and ecological benefits emerge. Findings
also demonstrate that Aboriginal understandings of wetlands are best revealed, and applied, through holistic culture-centric,
place-based research approaches. Such approaches offer strong potential to reactivate and strengthen Indigenous wetland
management within cross-cultural NRM, benefiting both Indigenous and conventional NRM aspirations.