Dambimangari Fire Project

The Dambimangari Fire Project is a Savanna Fire Management project located in the remote North Kimberley region of Western Australia, approximately 200km northeast of Derby. Registered in February 2014, the project encompasses a vast area of roughly 805,800 hectares, covering the traditional lands of the Dambimangari people. The region is characterized by rugged sandstone terrain, deep gorges, and coastal islands, such as those in the Buccaneer Archipelago.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Emissions Abatement through Savanna Fire Management) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology involves strategic, planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season (EDS) to reduce the fuel load. By doing so, the project aims to prevent high-intensity, destructive wildfires that typically occur in the late dry season (LDS). This shift from "hot" late-season fires to "cool" early-season burns significantly reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane and nitrous oxide.

Environmentally, the project area lies primarily within the high rainfall zone of the tropical savanna, experiencing a distinct monsoonal wet season. The landscape is dominated by rugged sandstone ranges with skeletal, sandy soils, interspersed with pockets of rainforest and alluvial clays in valley floors. The land use is almost exclusively dedicated to conservation and traditional Indigenous land management, known locally as "Right Way Fire." This approach combines traditional cultural knowledge with modern technology, such as aerial incendiary drops and satellite mapping, to protect cultural sites and biodiversity, including threatened species like the Northern Quoll.

The project is a collaborative effort involving the Wanjina-Wunggurr (Native Title) Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC and the Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation, facilitated by the Kimberley Land Council. It is part of the broader North Kimberley Fire Abatement Project (NKFAP). Interestingly, the project has attracted corporate support, including backing from the Qantas Future Planet program, highlighting its dual role in generating carbon credits and preserving Indigenous cultural heritage.