The 10 Deserts Project

The title of this project strategy might suggest a lack of existing capacity among Indigenous communities. However, the shift in the 10DP from building capacity to recognising and leveraging the existing strengths, diverse skill sets and extensive networks of Indigenous people has been a notable development during the project.  

Throughout the project, focus was maintained on supporting Indigenous ranger teams to grow and develop, share best practice, and foster supportive networks and alliances. Central to this endeavour was the preservation and centralisation of Indigenous Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ICEK), which served as a foundational platform for capacity building. Additionally, significant efforts were directed towards enhancing Indigenous rangers’ preexisting fire management skills and operational capacity.  

The strategy’s success stemmed from its alignment with the needs and aspirations of the rangers, capitalising on their inherent abilities and resources. Rather than imposing external priorities, the flexibility of the 10DP management and funding enabled rangers to prioritise culturally significant projects that might have otherwise struggled to get off the ground.  

The interconnection that existed among the various activity streams within this strategy enabled a high level of collaboration. For instance, the desire to enhance fire management skills was intricately linked with knowledge sharing during ICEK trips which were popular among rangers.

The project sought to build capacity for a coordinated approach to threat management and initially targeted Buffel Grass and feral camels. Over the five years of the 10DP the focus shifted from addressing threats as discrete problems to aligning management strategies with Indigenous perspectives on land stewardship.     

While the project initially mirrored mainstream practices of mitigating or removing threats, it gradually became evident that Indigenous approaches to land management prioritised connecting with and enhancing the value of country. As a result, project areas emphasising Indigenous engagement with country, such as fire management, Indigenous Cultural and Ecological Knowledge (ICEK) and emerging ranger teams, experienced greater uptake and success compared to those focusing solely on threats.

The transformation of the desert region into a hub for job creation and economic development has predominantly relied on government funding, with Indigenous ranger programs emerging as a notable success story. However, there has been a longstanding aspiration to shift from reliance on programmatic funding towards fostering an entrepreneurial and market-based economy for desert rangers.   

This transition is viable only with continued substantial government investment, which serves as the foundation upon which potential products and opportunities can be leveraged. Indigenous ranger teams and IPAs have emerged as pivotal components in this endeavour, providing the impetus for exploring avenues for rangers to engage in tourism ventures, manage permit systems, and undertake preliminary investigations into nature-based markets. This section of the report delves into the exploration of these opportunities, highlighting the potential for sustainable economic growth and cultural preservation within the desert landscape.

The collaborative essence of the desert identity, deeply entrenched in a cultural imperative to share ideas, culture and resources across vast landscapes, found fertile ground in the 10DP. From its inception, the project recognised the necessity of enabling strong partnerships to thrive. 

Initially under the management of DSS, the 10DP swiftly acknowledged the role of the IDA in facilitating collaboration across the desert. The IDA, established prior to the 10DP, emerged as a crucial partner entrusted with the task of enabling connectivity between project partners and stakeholders, eventually taking over project management in mid-2021.  

A myriad of activities, spanning conferences, ranger exchanges and collaborative fire management efforts, acted as catalysts for fortifying connections and sparking collaborative ventures. DSS observed that these initiatives instilled a sense of belonging and empowerment among supported ranger groups, while partners like KJ lauded the project staff’s instrumental role in delivering successful collaborative projects.