Planetary health and Indigenous sovereignty: exploring the theory of change of the Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) network in Western Australia

TL;DR

This paper describes how the HEAL network in Western Australia uses Indigenous knowledge and community-led research to improve health and address climate change.

Contribution

The paper introduces a theory of change that integrates Indigenous sovereignty and participatory research for equitable climate and health outcomes.

Findings

Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) is used to center Indigenous voices in climate and health research.

Integrating young people's perspectives ensures intergenerational justice in research and policy.

Collaborative relationships between researchers and communities lead to equitable, place-based solutions.

Abstract

This paper outlines the theory of change which underpins the Western Australian (WA) hub of the Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) network. HEAL is an Australian national research initiative that aims to address the health impacts of climate and environmental change. The WA hub’s theory of change is focused on improving the health and well-being of the planet and people, including children, through centring Indigenous sovereignty, voices and ways of knowing and being in research, policy development and service provision. The WA hub also recognises it is essential for place-based, community-led solutions, which strengthens responses to climate and environmental change, grounding mitigation and adaptation efforts in local priorities, knowledges and relationships. To action its theory of change, the HEAL WA hub has embraced Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR), which positions Aboriginal elders, people with diverse lived experiences, young people, community organisations and policy makers as co-researchers. This weaving together of different ways of knowing, grounded in holistic, relational and multigenerational worldviews, enables community members to lead change and hold decision-making power at all stages of research. Through CBPAR, researchers, community members and organisations, policy-makers and service providers build and foster meaningful relationships and collaborate to co-design, implement and translate research. Young people and children are a vital part of the work, and their voices and priorities are integrated in all phases of the work to ensure intergenerational justice and vision also guides practice. This ensures HEAL WA can affect targeted, research-driven and equitable community-led change both now and for generations to come.

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