Indigenous governance and climate change adaptation: Two native title case studies from Australia

Climate change has generated interest in the roles and responsibility of indigenous peoples in adapting to and mitigating change, as their culture and social organisation is deeply embedded in land and water. This chapter considers the opportunity offered by the formal recognition of indigenous peoples' property rights in Australia under native title for stronger climate change institutions, and the challenges that persist despite this recognition. Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBCs) reflect structures of community governance that have been articulated and recognised under the Native Title Act; indeed, they form the evidence required for proving native title. The chapter compares the experiences of two RNTBCs in Bidyadanga and Kowanyama to identify blockages and opportunities in the laws, policies and relationships that determined their interactions with land and water management institutions.