RCE Greater Western Sydney - 2020

Location

Australia
See map: Google Maps
AU
Hawkesbury Resilience Project - Learn, Prepare, Prevent: Action for a Resilient Hawkesbury
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Hawkesbury Resilience Project - Learn, Prepare, Prevent: Action for a Resilient Hawkesbury
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Greater Western Sydney
Contributing organization(s) : 
Western Sydney University (Sustainable Futures) in partnership with Hawkesbury City Council, Hawkesbury Environment Network, Macquarie Electorate Student Climate Activists and Penrith-Hawkesbury Environmental Educators Network.
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Brittany Hardiman
Organizational Affiliation: 
Western Sydney University
E-mail: 
b.hardiman@westernsydney.edu.au
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Monday, October 19, 2020
Web link: 
www.westernsydney.edu.au/rcegws/rcegws/rce_programs/hawkesbury_resilience_project
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
No
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
Australia
Location(s): 
Hawkesbury
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751
Ecosystem(s):
Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Community
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Hawkesbury City is located at the north-western fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area - about 50 kilometres from the Sydney. Hawkesbury City is predominantly comprised of national and state parks, with some residential, commercial, industrial and military land use. The City encompasses a total land area of about 2,800 square kilometres, of which more than 70% is National Park. The Hawkesbury is divided by 5 river systems; the Nepean, Hawkesbury, Grose, Colo and MacDonald rivers. The main population centres are Windsor and Richmond, with urban areas also in many small townships and localities. The majority of the population live in the south-eastern section of the City.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Hawkesbury LGA is unique in the Sydney Metropolitan context, with its character being strongly influenced by the natural environment and rural qualities that make up its diverse landscape. Housing development and expansion is coming a challenge. A range of key issues influence Hawkesbury LGA, including Biodiversity and Vegetation; Bushfire Prone Areas; Flooding; Wetlands; and Agricultural Land.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
June, 2020
Rationale: 
The project, “Learn-Prevent-Prepare: Community Action for a Resilient Hawkesbury”, is an education, engagement and empowerment program designed to respond to climate impacts at multiple touch points. The program, run primarily by Hawkesbury residents, aims to inspire the Hawkesbury community to create the social, institutional and physical infrastructure needed to survive and potentially thrive in our changing climate.
Objectives: 
The program looks to strengthen community connections and biodiversity resilience in bushfire and flood prone areas, support the health and wellbeing benefits for community participants and develop stronger networks of public and community institutions.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Over the next 18 months the initiative will offer:

- A digital map that identifies the huge array of local groups and organisations already contributing to resilience in the Hawkesbury.
- One-on-one conversations with other Hawkesbury residents (trained volunteers) to share their concerns about our changing climate and offer potential pathways for individual and community action to help address those concerns.
- Neighbourhood level community workshops to identify the things we can do to learn about, help prevent or prepare for increasingly severe weather and other impacts of concern to residents.
- Forums for the Hawkesbury community to come together as a whole to share our resilience stories and discuss opportunities to build resilience. A collection of stories that express the many constructive ways Hawkesbury residents are already responding to our changing climate.
Results: 
N/A
Lessons learned: 
N/A
Key messages: 
The Hawkesbury Resilience Project offers opportunities for local residents to talk about the changes they are experiencing in the face of a changing climate and to find ways to tackle them together.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
This project links to one of three core priorities for our RCE.
Funding: 
The project was success in obtaining a AdaptNSW Community Grant from NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) to undertake the proposed activities over the next 18 months.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Environmental community event on the Hawkesbury-Nepean River
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Agriculture 
Indirect
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
state: 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
No