Mildura was the ideal place for early career researcher Camaria Holder to relocate and undertake her work exploring the importance of collaboration in long-term water management planning.

Camaria is the newest PhD candidate to join the One Basin CRC Mildura Hub, which is based at the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre (MRIC).

Her PhD project, through the Australian National University, will look at how Murray-Darling Basin communities that are facing uncertain water futures can come together to produce shared visions for a sustainable basin under climate change.

‘I plan to do a deep dive into understanding the role of values in achieving the change that would be necessary to adapt and transform under climate change,’ Camaria said.

‘As Basin stakeholders are encouraged to imagine and articulate different versions of the future, I am seeking to understand how values influence their collective choices of what future realities they find desirable.

It is really important to get key actors in society to explore multiple futures that push the thinking about various adaptation options and what actions should be taken.

‘I am excited to be in the region and to start having conversations about how these critical issues can be targeted through collaboration and innovation as we push ourselves to incorporate diverse value systems and different kinds of knowledge into decision making.’

Camaria made the move from Canberra in early June, saying it was nice to come into a growing team at the Mildura Hub and work alongside and learn from other early-career researchers.

‘It is great to be in a space where though we are all working on different things, there is a common thread of addressing some of the unique issues in the region and wider basin,’ she said.

‘I look forward to the months ahead, becoming even more embedded in the CRC and MRIC team and getting involved in some of the interesting work that everyone is doing.

This article reproduced courtesy the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre.