Improving Beach Safety in Multicultural Communities

Synopsis

There is growing interest in the beach and coastal safety field regarding drowning fatalities amongst multi-cultural communities – or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. These groups are considered to be high risk groups as they are often new migrants to Australia, or live large distances away from the coast, and are infrequent beach users – but they do go to the coast and often have different cultural interactions with the coast. This project involves conducting surveys and workshops of a particular multicultural community (to be decided) in order to understand their own understanding of beach safety and hazards. Outcomes will lead to improved educational programs for these communities. Funding is provided to support the project.

Aims

The aim of this study is to provide information on the understanding and behaviour of multi-cultural communities in relation to beach safety and hazards on Sydney beaches.

Student benefits

Students will work with the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group and organisations such as Surf Life Saving Australia and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and will gain valuable experience in a range of data collection and analysis methods. The outcomes of this project will have significant practical outcomes for many organisations responsible for the safety of coastal visitors. It is intended that this project will lead to a publication in a scientific journal.