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Australia blends tech and Indigenous wisdom to fight fire
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Environment & Climate

Australia blends tech and Indigenous wisdom to fight fire

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Australia combines advanced technology with Indigenous knowledge to combat wildfires.
  • Experts are integrating satellite data, drones, and AI with traditional ecological understanding.
  • This approach aims to improve fire detection and land management, drawing on thousands of years of Indigenous experience.

Australia is pioneering a unique approach to wildfire management by merging cutting-edge technology with ancient Indigenous knowledge. Professor Marta Yebra, a bushfire expert based in Canberra, leads the Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence, established after the devastating Black Summer fires of 2019-20. Her team utilizes tools like satellites, drones, and AI for fire detection. However, they equally value the millennia-old ecological wisdom passed down through generations of Indigenous Australians.

She had all this amazing data, but there was no translation to what it meant on the ground, so it was kind of useless.

— Indigenous expertExplaining the necessity of Indigenous knowledge to interpret satellite data for practical application.

This integration is proving highly effective. Indigenous knowledge, such as understanding a plant's color and scent or the density of tree cover, helps verify satellite data. As one expert noted, satellite data alone can be insufficient without ground-level interpretation. Indigenous perspectives transform this data into a practical map, guiding users to areas prone to burning. This involves detailed ground assessment, including subsurface analysis.

But through an Indigenous perspective, it was not useless. It was a map that could guide you through the country and, if you understood it, take you directly into a place that is ready to burn.

— Indigenous expertDescribing how Indigenous ecological understanding makes scientific data actionable for fire prevention.

Yebra highlighted a significant alignment between Indigenous local knowledge and satellite findings, underscoring the combined strength of both scientific and traditional expertise. The team seeks further funding to collaborate with Indigenous communities on land protection and fire management plans. This initiative reflects a growing recognition of Indigenous wisdom in addressing contemporary environmental challenges, with one participant stating it's about "allowing our mother – the planet Earth – a voice again."

We're looking at the subsurface level and then everything from that up beyond the canopy.

— Indigenous expertDetailing the ground-level assessment methods used in conjunction with technological data.

The practice of "cultural burning," a long-standing Indigenous tradition, is also being integrated. This involves lighting small, controlled "cool fires" to create a mosaic landscape, preventing excessive fuel buildup. This contrasts with approaches in Europe, where scientists blame fuel accumulation for recent devastating wildfires. Yebra expressed that while difficult to witness, the situation in Spain is not surprising, especially with climate change exacerbating fire frequency.

remarkable agreement

— Marta YebraDescribing the synergy between Indigenous knowledge and satellite data.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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