The Future Drought Fund’s “Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative” (HRCPDI) strengthens social resilience in drought-prone regions of Australia. Delivered by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), the AUD$29.6 million initiative supports community-led projects, mentoring, leadership training, and access to expertise. Women’s leadership is central, with over 20 projects funded, AUD$730,000 allocated, and 63.6% of mentoring participants being women. These efforts foster sustainable land management, drought resilience, and gender-inclusive leadership.
Background
Drought is a recurring feature of Australia’s climate and is predicted to intensify as global climate change continues. Its impacts are not limited to agricultural productivity; they extend to the economy, society, and the environment, creating complex, interlinked challenges for regional and rural communities. For those whose livelihoods depend on farming and natural resources, the consequences of drought are often devastating, with disruptions to income, well-being, and social cohesion.
The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund (FDF) was established to proactively strengthen resilience in anticipation of these challenges. One of its major programmes, the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative (HRCPDI), directly addresses the social aspects of resilience. Evidence suggests that strong social capital—the networks, trust, and shared resources within a community—is critical to drought preparedness. Communities with robust connections are better able to mobilise knowledge, support one another, and cope collectively when drought conditions intensify.
The HRCPDI is an AUD$29.6 million investment launched in August 2022, scheduled to run until June 2025. It is a collaboration between the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF). The initiative takes a multi-pronged approach by combining financial support for local projects, leadership development, small grants, mentoring, knowledge exchange, and access to technical expertise.
Women are central to this strategy. In rural Australia, women contribute significantly to farming, land management, and family well-being, but they are often underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles. Structural barriers, traditional gender roles, and limited opportunities have historically restricted women’s influence. The HRCPDI recognises that building resilience requires inclusive leadership, with women empowered to participate fully in community and land management decisions.
To this end, the programme has already supported over 20 projects focused on women, providing AUD$730,000 in funding. Additionally, women make up the majority of participants in the National Mentoring Program (159 of 250 mentees, or 63.6%). Projects such as those led by Mallee Sustainable Farming illustrate how targeted training and networks can nurture a new generation of confident female leaders.
The HRCPDI represents a shift in drought planning: it goes beyond technical adaptation to focus on social resilience, leadership, and inclusivity, positioning women as essential actors in sustainable land management and drought preparedness.
Actions taken
The HRCPDI delivers an integrated set of activities designed to prepare communities for drought by strengthening networks, leadership, and access to expertise. Its five programme elements are complementary, ensuring both grassroots engagement and national-level coordination.
- Community Impact Program – In 35 regions across Australia, grants of up to AUD$500,000 are awarded to lead organisations. These organisations work with local groups and residents in a co-design process to create tailored drought resilience projects. Alongside these projects, ARLF delivers leadership workshops to enhance the skills of community members.
- Small Network Grants – Grassroots groups can access up to AUD$50,000 in funding. These grants are aimed at strengthening local networks and building stronger connections, which are critical for reducing isolation and creating mutual support systems during drought.
- National Mentoring Program – This 12-month programme, delivered by ARLF, connects mentors with emerging leaders in drought-prone communities. Mentors provide guidance, skills, and confidence to mentees who wish to contribute to resilience building. Out of 250 participants, 159 have been women, highlighting the programme’s role in fostering women’s leadership.
- National Learning Network – A platform that connects individuals and organisations participating in HRCPDI or previous resilience programmes. It ensures that learning and collaboration extend beyond individual projects, creating a long-term community of practice around drought preparedness.
- National Expertise Pool – This online tool allows organisations to access specialist expertise needed to implement drought resilience activities. Experts advertise their skills on the platform, and grantees can draw on this knowledge as required.
Women’s involvement has been prioritised across these actions. More than 20 women-led or women-focused projects have been supported, amounting to AUD$730,000 in grant funding. Training, leadership workshops, and mentoring opportunities are tailored to empower women as leaders in sustainable land management (SLM) and drought resilience. For example, projects such as the one led by Mallee Sustainable Farming build networks of rural female leaders through development workshops, creating a foundation for long-term participation in decision-making.
These combined efforts address multiple dimensions of resilience. By strengthening social capital, providing financial resources, building leadership skills, and connecting communities with expertise, the HRCPDI ensures that communities are not only better prepared for drought but also more inclusive in how they manage land and resources.
Outcomes
The HRCPDI has already demonstrated meaningful outcomes in building drought resilience, particularly by centering women in leadership and sustainable land management.
1. Women’s empowerment and leadership development
- Over 20 projects supporting women have been funded, with more than AUD$730,000 allocated.
- The National Mentoring Program has significantly engaged women, with 159 of 250 mentees (63.6%) being female. This has strengthened confidence, skills, and leadership capacity among women in drought-affected regions.
- Projects like Mallee Sustainable Farming are cultivating a new generation of rural female leaders through personal development and leadership training.
2. Strengthened social capital and networks
- Grants to local organisations and small networks have reduced social isolation and increased community cohesion.
- By creating regular opportunities for interaction and knowledge-sharing, communities are more prepared to face drought collectively.
3. Integrated capacity building
- Leadership training workshops, mentoring, and access to expertise have created layers of resilience at both individual and institutional levels.
- The National Learning Network ensures that knowledge and experiences are shared beyond regional boundaries, fostering a national culture of preparedness.
4. Long-term resilience focus
- The initiative positions drought as a predictable challenge requiring proactive preparation, rather than reactive crisis management.
- By investing in women’s leadership and community-led projects, HRCPDI addresses both immediate and systemic barriers to resilience.
5. Challenges and future improvements
- As a relatively new programme, HRCPDI faces implementation challenges and emerging gaps. An ongoing evaluation process is examining these areas, and findings will inform the second phase beginning in 2025–26. This commitment to learning ensures continuous improvement.
Overall impact
The HRCPDI demonstrates that drought resilience is not only about technical water and land management, but also about social inclusion, leadership, and empowerment. By supporting women and fostering networks, the initiative has created pathways for more sustainable, equitable, and resilient communities across rural Australia.
Lessons Learned
Investing in women’s leadership in drought resilience strengthens both social cohesion and sustainable land management. Empowered women become catalysts for community adaptation, demonstrating that gender inclusion is central to resilience-building policies and practices.
Multi-layered approaches—combining grants, mentoring, training, and access to expertise—are more sustainable than stand-alone interventions. Integrating social, economic, and environmental strategies creates long-term resilience that can be replicated in drought-prone regions globally.
Locally co-designed projects enhance ownership and ensure initiatives reflect community priorities. This bottom-up model increases sustainability and makes the approach highly replicable in diverse regional and national contexts.
Networking and mentoring create pathways for scaling by building a pipeline of skilled leaders who can extend resilience practices beyond initial project regions, ensuring broader adoption and continuity.
Continuous evaluation and adaptive learning are vital. By identifying gaps and refining approaches, programmes remain relevant and effective, offering valuable models for other countries designing integrated resilience policies.
