Toni Hay is a specialist in climate adaptation and environmental sustainability, dedicated to integrating Indigenous knowledge into climate resilience strategies. A proud Gamilaraay woman who grew up on Yolŋu homelands in the Northern Territory, Toni brings a strong cultural foundation to her work with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and her PhD studies at Charles Darwin University.

Her research focuses on embedding Aboriginal cultural knowledge into climate adaptation and disaster planning to reduce risk and improve resilience. Toni is the author of Culture of Inclusion: Indigenous Climate Adaptation and a contributor to The Conversation, where she shares First Nations perspectives on climate and sustainability.

She was awarded the 2020 Queensland Women in STEM Award for her leadership in Indigenous climate policy.

Supervisor: Associate Professor Christine Schlesinger

Publications

• Hay T (15 November 2022) 'Effects of climate change such as flooding makes existing disadvantages for Indigenous communities so much worse', The Conversation,  https://theconversation.com/effects-of-climate-change-such-as-flooding-makes-existing-disadvantages-for-indigenous-communities-so-much-worse-192090