How The Women Of Lismore Are Rebuilding Their Community After Catastrophic Flooding

Climate change is no longer a foreseeable problem in the distant future; it’s here. Between the pandemic, bushfires and catastrophic floods, the eco-anxiety is mounting, and the whole thing can feel insurmountable.

We know that women are disproportionately impacted by climate change. As the UN explains, climate change is a "threat multiplier", and when disasters hit, "women are less likely to survive and more likely to be injured due to long standing gender inequalities that have created disparities in information, mobility, decision-making, and access to resources and training."

Despite this, women are often at the forefront of organising and leading the charge when it comes to both change and rehabilitation after climate disaster — which is what we see in the first instalment of the series, where we visit NSW's Northern Rivers.

In February 2022, the Northern Rivers region was hit by catastrophic once-in-a-100 year floods, wiping out thousands of homes. Where governments and institutions failed to provide the basic care and resources residents were in desperate need of, from baby formula to clean drinking water, women from the local area rallied together to lead and nurture those in need.

“People think that the government and these services are going to come and save you. What I’m realising is they don’t — it’s the community that’s gonna save you,” says Kirilly Dawn, a co-founder of the Koori Mail Flood Hub.

In the video below, we see how these resilient and inspiring women have spearheaded flood relief in the region, and helped their community overcome adversity.