New research proves that Indigenous led fire projects have been a major success in Western Australia’s North Kimberley – one of the most fire prone regions in the world.

A comprehensive study has been published in the CSIRO's International Journal of Wildland Fire examining the changes to fire regimes before and after the initiation of Savanna Fire Management projects. It focusses on the Balanggarra, Dambimangari, Wilinggin and Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owner groups’ fire management projects. These projects operate under the collectively Indigenous owned and led Kimberley Fire Abatement Project (est. 2008).

The research looks at 22 years of data covering 11.7 million hectares across the Indigenous groups’ lands - more than twice the size of Tasmania. It compares fire metrics between the baseline, pre-Indigenous fire management years (2001–2011) and the project post-Indigenous fire management years (2012–2022) – believed to be the longest running and largest area ever examined in fine-resolution burnt area mapping.

Key Findings 

• Fire frequency decreased across more than 42% of the project area during the Indigenous management years.
• Fire seasonality notably shifted from late dry season to early dry season dominance, with fewer late dry season wildfires which previously dominated the region and led to biodiversity decline. There were fewer late dry season fires across more than two-thirds (67%) of the project area during the Indigenous
  management years.
• Early dry season fires are now a dominant component of the fire regime in the Kimberley region. These fires that still occur are mostly less severe (cooler), patchier, smaller and occur less frequently; the number of small patches (burnt or unburnt areas) less than 500 hectares increased and the number of large patches of
  more than 10,000 hectares decreased.
• There is a greater diversity of vegetation fuel ages, and more patches of unburnt vegetation for five or more years – areas which provide extra cover for animals evading predation.
• Wildfires more than 40,000 hectares in size occurred during 10 of the 11 years before Indigenous management but in only one of the 11 years under Indigenous management.

These significant fire regime improvements have been enabled by the emergence of Indigenous land and sea management programs, carbon trading markets, support roles of partner agencies, and the securing of native title land rights.

The four Traditional Owner groups outlined, within their Healthy Country Plans, that reduced customary burning results in more intense wildfires.

“Our Wanjina Wunggurr ancestors have been using fire to manage and protect our country for a long, long time. Fire is our most important thing to look after and keep our country healthy. It is important we burn the land according to our Wanjina Wunggurr Law, the right way, and at the right time of year. Our right way fire burning helps plants grow and provides us with bush foods and animals with shelter and food. Managing our wildfires using savanna burning protects our country and we are also making business from savanna burning for carbon.”

Catherine Goonack, Chair Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, Director Indigenous Carbon Industry Network

You can read the full report here: Factors enabling fire management outcomes in Indigenous Savanna fire management projects in Western Australia