Scientific diversity project news

This is the December 2015 newsletter from the Scientific Diversity, Scientific Uncertainty and Risk Mitigation Policy and Planning project (RMPP), with updates for project end-users.

Activity update

Last year Dr Josh Wodak produced an extensive literature review of scenario exercises for the project. Subsequently, Dr Wodak and Dr Tim Neale used the report as the basis for a paper which has now been published in the international planning journal Futures.

The paper is free to access until December 19th via this link: http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Rylr3jdJGTtn

Dr Neale completed the final interviews for the Barwon-Otway case study in late October. The interest in the project shown by end-user agencies has been very encouraging and Dr Neale has been in discussion with both participants and agency representatives about when and how results from the case study will be reported back.

Associate Professor Micheal Eburn gave an invited seminar titled ‘Science, knowledge and liability’ to the West Australian Local Government Association on 9 November. This seminar addressed the wider issues surrounding scientific knowledge and its bearing on evidenced-based decision-making as it pertains to a local government.

This week Dr Neale has been in Darwin to complete the Greater Darwin case study scenario exercise, holding a workshop with participants who took part in interviews in July, presenting scenarios of what the Greater Darwin area may look like in 2035.